Flaming Heart
by Creidhe
Summary: An unexpected incident, sends Sakura into the past. She has a chance at saving everything, but as the wise say 'Playing with the hands of times brings you the most deadly consequences,' However, Sakura was not one to be intimidated ...
1. Um

Flaming Heart

FULL Summary: An unexpected incident, sends Sakura into the past. She has a chance at saving everything, but as the wise say 'Playing with the hands of times brings you the most deadly consequences,' However, Sakura was not one to be intimidated ... especially if a certain silver-haired nin was by her side.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately Naruto does not belong to me.

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CHAPTER

I

* * *

"We're under attack!" a loud voice echoed through the entire village.

Screams of horror filled the pink-haired girl ears. She frowned slightly as she sprinted through the hospital corridors. She came to a stop just right outside the hospital. Her green eyes stared at the burning buildings.

"No…" she shook her head in denial, "no… this can't be happening,"

The pink-haired kunoichi turned left and started to run towards the Hokage tower. Tsunade-Shishou would need her.

Suddenly a gasp escaped her lips as she saw him standing right in front of the Hokage tower. He seemed to have grown taller since the last time she saw him. She studied him carefully and watched as his raven hair moved according to the gentle breeze which gave him a mysterious look. Then her rosy lips parted in shock as she stared at his blood stained clothes. Clenching her hand in to fists, she narrowed her eyes at him. He was behind the attacks.

"Sakura,"

The pink-haired girl tensed as he pronounced her name. His voice sounded softer than she remembered.

"Why?" she asked as her shoulders started to tremble slightly. If she was expecting an answer he did not offered her one. He merely kept staring at the tower, "WHY!?" her voice echoed through the empty streets.

"Hn. Emotionally as always." He said as he turned his head to look at her from behind his shoulder.

Sakura emerald eyes met crimson. He had a wicked smile adorning his pale features that brought to her a grand feeling of danger. Whoever was standing in front of her, was definitely not the young boy she once knew.

Everything about him screamed darkness. He was no longer in a place where she could reach him.

"Perhaps you should be worrying about Naruto," he told her matter-of-factly as the wicked smile vanished from his face.

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "You… you brought them here…" her voice almost failed her, "You accepted this? How could you!? Why are you doing this? Naruto… Naruto he doesn't deserve this!" Sakura cried out as she ran forward her fist ready to cause serious damage on his pretty face.

Sasuke watched as she approached him. He merely jumped away as he dodged her furious punches.

"He… all he thinks is about you!" she tried another punch which he avoided it easily, "he blames himself! He misses you so much and you… you do this?!" Sakura angrily voice was strange even to her own ears. A few tears had started to escape her eyes blurring her vision.

"Hn, He's a fool," was Sasuke only reply as he barely managed to dodge another punch.

The pink-haired girl growled angrily as his lips curved into a mocking smile.

"The only fool here is you!" Sakura stopped on her tracks as Kakashi-sensei voice sounded from behind them. Her emerald eyes stopped on the silhouette that was standing close to Kakashi.

Naruto sad blue eyes shattered her already broken heart.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered as he approached the dark-haired Uchiha.

"Hn,"

"What have you done?" Naruto questioned. Sakura cringed at Naruto's croaky voice.

No more words were necessary as the Uchiha positioned himself ready to engage in a battle. Naruto lowered his head and stared at the ground. His both hands clenched into fists.

"If this is how you want it," said Naruto as he disappeared and reappeared behind the Uchiha. A blue ball of chakra was on his right hand.

Sakura gasped as the blue ball connected with Sasuke's skin. Her eyes widened in horror as Sasuke body too disappeared and on its place was a wooden trunk. A replacement jutsu.

"Now now, we cannot allow them to have all the fun," a new voice joined in.

Both Sakura and Kakashi turned around to stare at the same orange masked man that had ran away that other time when they had almost succeeded in bringing Sasuke back. Next to him was a blue-skinned man carrying a large sword.

Kakashi immediately pushed his headband away revealing his sharigan eye. The orange masked nin chuckled darkly.

Sakura glared at the fish-like man and prepared herself to fight. She recognized him then as Itachi's Akatsuki partner. She had read everything about him at the bingo book. Her eyes narrowed at him. Sakura didn't quite fully understand why on earth Sasuke would join forces with the likes of him.

Before Sakura could tell they had been fighting for almost two hours, yet it seemed as thought they were at it for a whole day. The fight had first taken place right in front of the Hokage tower but now they were standing outside Konoha.

The pink-haired girl gasped for breath as she jumped back barely managing to dodge the fish-like man sword. He looked quite tired but not as tired as she was. Her emerald eyes narrowed at his damn sword that seemed to suck every bit of chakra as soon it touched her.

She could hear Kakashi scream something at her but she unfortunately cold not quite understand him as she ducked from Kisame's sword. Sakura then turned her head towards the silver-haired nin who seemed quite busy with the orange masked nin. She stared in complete awe at the speed of the Akatsuki masked nin. Kakashi barely could follow his opponent moves.

"A ninja should not take their eyes off the battle," Kisame retorted with an odd smirk.

Sakura gasped as she felt something collide with her left side. She cursed under her breath as an excruciating pain traveled through her entire body_. _

Her eyes darted away to the blue-skinned man who smirked at her as he swung back his large sword to his shoulder.

"I thought I'd give you something for you to remember me," he snickered as he stared directly at her threatening emerald eyes.

Sakura hand got covered in blood as she massaged the wounded area. She frowned at the deepness of the cut. If she wasn't treated soon she would get a nasty infection.

She glared dangerously at him, ignoring his comment. Deciding that she had enough she readied herself to perform a new jutsu she had just learned with Shishou but then something made her stop right in the middle.

There was a loud bang not to far away from where she and Kakashi were standing. Kakashi and Sakura including Kisame and the odd masked nin stopped. There was some kind of momentarily truces between them.

They all turned around. There was a deadly silence in the air as they all stared at the enormous red color that was quickly consuming the whole landscape. Naruto… the Kyuubi's chakra.

Sakura felt as if someone was strangling her own heart. There was no way that Sasuke could have survived at this… this insane strength.

"Shit," said the masked nin as he turned to Kisame, "it has gotten out of control,"

"Well do something about it. I thought you were able to control it," Kisame retorted.

"It's too late. The seal has been completely broken," the masked nin added.

"So?!"

"So it's coming this way!" Sakura said interrupting the dialog between the other two.

Everyone gasped at the mass of red chakra that was now advancing rapidly towards their direction.

Sakura barely had time to react. She slowly stepped back as her emerald eyes stared directly at the sight of red chakra. All that she could think about was about a certain blond-haired boy.

"N... Naruto!" she cried out as she felt something bump into her.

She felt herself being dragged away by an invisible force. Her eyes starred in horror at the red chakra who was taking everything along with it. Dirt, trees, branches, herself and Kakashi.

She desperately tried to hold on to something but it was no use. A scream left her mouth as she no longer could feel the ground beneath her.

Her big emerald eyes stared at the dark starred sky. Her pink hair was quickly all over her face complicating her vision. She knew… she knew that she was falling down. What she wondered as she stretched her arms in vain was why was it taking so long to the impact to come.

She eyed the top of the cliff where a very small Kakashi stood. She closed her eyes tightly knowing that the end was coming soon. As she closed her eyes she could see them clearly. The images started to cross her mind at a lightening speed.

Sakura could see the blond-hair and his wide whiskered grin. He was waving at her while she merely ignored him. Her emerald eyes were fixed upon a dark-haired boy. Another image came quickly as the other vanished. This time she was smiling back at the blond-boy, they were eating ramen together while a bored Kakashi had his eyes on a perverted red book. Another image came. This time it was a small image of her birthday. She could see a cheerful Tsunade raising an empty bottle of sake claiming for more.

"I love you… all so much,"

The pain then came. It hit her body at once. It was as if thousands of sharp knives crossed her body over and over again. She opened her mouth to gasp but no air ever came. Her emerald eyes shot open and she realized she was under water.

Forcing herself, she managed to reach the surface. She opened her mouth and breathed in the maximum quantity of air as possible. She quickly spotted a large piece of wood and held on to it. Her finger nails dig on the weakened wood as she supported herself in order not to sink down.

She positioned herself into a safe position and then her eyelids closed without warning and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Sakura quietly shifted and slowly opened her big green eyes. She looked around with apprehension. _Where am I?_ She tucked her ruffled pink hair behind her ears only to realize that her hair was soaking wet... And so were her clothes... She blinked, and then a large wave hit her from behind, and she lost her balance struggling not to be swept back to the sea. She threw herself forward on the sand, and crawled away from the waves, until they were not able to reach her anymore. Short of breath, she looked around once again. There was the sea, and the shore, and behind her there were lights and the noise of people's voices swirling in the air, screaming, laughing, talking, singing; crying, maybe.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her eyes stung, but she was not sure whether it was only the sea water... Suddenly it all came back to her... That hollow feeling... That wave of cold creeping over her, enveloping her, tugging on her body and soul... Her soul... If there was anything left from her soul after _that. _

...If there was anything left from her, after she had slowly made her way across the village_..._ The village was silent and empty... Empty. It had felt as if Konoha was dead. The day was bright, but it was the day good enough for a funeral. There was no wind. It was humid. And cold... So cold, she could not even feel her toes.

The pink-haired kunoichi tried to sit but an excruciating pain on her left side reminded her of the nasty cut she had received when she fought with the fish-like man. Biting her lip to suppress a scream she lied down back on the sand. Her heart beat was beating so fast that she could even feel it's pulsations on her throat. The memories, they came slowly one by one, filling her emerald eyes with an empty void.

Sakura let out a loud cry and buried her head on the sand not bothered one bit the fact that her mouth was becoming so dry.

"By Kami!" a concerned loud voice spoke. Sakura ignored it as she kept crying her heart out, "Miss? Miss are you alright?"

Slowly, she raised her head to stare at a tall chubby woman. The tall woman was wearing a purple kimono and stared down at the pink-haired girl in absolute shock.

"You're from leaf too," she said as she crouched down next to Sakura, "You've got left behind?"

Sakura recoiled at the warm touch of the woman's delicate hands. Her head was racing at the woman's words. They made no sense.

"I'm sure if we send them a message… yes there is still time… oh my! You have quite a fever," the woman tone of voice seemed honestly concerned.

"N-Naruto…" Sakura whispered before her green eyes rolled back and once again fell unconscious.

* * *

Sakura Haruno woke up screaming, her heart pounding out a rhythm of terror. Fear was a living, breathing entity in the darkness of the strange room. The weight of it crushed her, held her helpless; she was unable to move. She could taste it in her mouth, and feel it coursing through her bloodstream. Around her, the air seemed so thick that her lungs burned for oxygen.

For a moment she lay frozen, her ears straining to hear the murmur of voices and sounds of steps approaching the room.

"Sir, please! You mustn't!" A female voice whispered. Sakura could hear the door knob move. Her heart skipped a beat as the door opened allowing a blinding white light to invade the room. She sat up, propping herself up by her elbows and peered directly into the light, her eyes adjusting without a flinch. A man emerged through the light dressed in what she recognized to be the ANBU uniform, he seemed to be carrying something in his hands.

The man stopped at her feet and looked down at her pale face.

"Where did you get this?" said the man–his voice was deep, experienced, and slow. Sakura blinked slowly at first, then she looked at him closely and the first thing she noticed was his big brown eyes that looked through her pryingly. His hair was brown and mid-long that fell elegantly over his shoulders; his lips were small and his nose was thin and sharp.

"I…" She started to stutter as her eyes wandered off to the leaf headband that he was holding. "T-that's mine," she spoke quietly and frowned. Did he not recognize her? Where was Tsunade? What had happened? Naruto… was he alright?

The tall mysterious man raised his left eyebrow and looked slightly impatient.

"Do not lie! You had it with you when we found you!" He accused, "Do tell!"

Sakura shook her head, confusion and fear crossed her features.

"Of course I had it with me," she answered now feeling completely dumfounded, "It's my headband that's why,"

"I see… you decide not to collaborate, then," the man said growing more impatiently by the minute.

"Are you deaf!" Sakura said now completely losing her mind, "I. HAD. IT. WITH. ME. BECAUSE. THAT. HEADBAND. BELONGS. TO. ME." She stopped to breath in, "where is Tsunade-Shishou? I demand to see her,"

"Tsunade?" the man repeated quite taken back, "What are you on about? And who the hell are you to demand such thing?"

"I think that's enough, Hitoshi,"

A tall blond-haired man stood at the room entrance, his shoulder was leaning on the wall. Sakura eyes widened as she took in his face.

"N-Naruto!" she exclaimed. Her eyes beamed at the sight of the man.

"I'm sorry, I think you've mistaken me with someone else," the man spoke quietly and gently, "let me introduce myself, my name is Minato Namikaze,"

"Okay…" Sakura answered as she stared at the man's face. He was identical to Naruto. However, she could spot a few differences, slight differences that only could be noticed if paid more attention, "I'm Sakura… Sakura Haruno,"

"Aha, well Sakura, I believe you and I have a lot to catch on," the blond man said while offering her a very familiar grin.

Sakura nodded shortly. She couldn't even think straight. What the hell was going on?

"Yondaime…" Hitoshi started but the blond-haired man cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It's alright Hitoshi, you can go now,"

Sakura jaw dropped as she stared at the tall man, "Oh Kami… No… oh no… please tell me that I'm still dreaming,"

* * *

A/N: First of all thank you all so much for reading! If you could drop a review it'd be awesome.


	2. Dois

**Flaming Heart**

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately Naruto does not belong to me

**A/N**: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I'm glad everyone enjoyed my first chapter. Here is the second one. I hope you enjoy it and that everyone was in character. Please Reviieeww!

* * *

Chapter

II

* * *

"How are you feeling?" the blond man asked as his bright blue eyes searched her green ones, "The medic has informed me that you received a dangerous cut…"

Sakura nodded quietly and darted her eyes away from his blue ones. It bothered her to be looking at such familiar eyes. It reminded her of Naruto.

"Do you…" Sakura could feel the hesitation in his voice. He didn't seem to be sure on how to approach the wanted subject, "do you… want to talk about it?"

Did she? Did she really want to talk about it? How would he react? Would he pretend to believe her and then order the medics to lock her in some dark room and label her as some lunatic? Would he bluntly laugh at her face?

Who on earth would believe her when herself was also having a hard time to believe?

Sakura's lip trembled and she cast her eyes down. Her mind was edging her to make a decision. To tell or not to tell. To lie or not to lie.

_Maybe I should just run. _Sakura told herself as she stared at the Yondaime's curious expression. But, who was she kidding? How could she run past _him_? She had heard the amazing tales about him. She was staring at a living legend.

Unexpectedly, she found her legs to move away onto the floor. She slowly stared at the door.

Minato seemed to have guessed her thoughts. A small discrete smile played on his features. He then calmly placed a hand on her shoulder and held her in place, "I guarantee you that no one will hurt you,"

Sakura studied his face, determining whether or not to trust the man in front of her. She nodded slowly at his soothing words and he offered her that familiar grin which caused the hair of the back of her neck to stand up.

"Good, good. Now who are your parents so I can contact them and tell them that you're safe?"

Sakura smiled softly at his attempt to drain some information of her, "My parents are dead, sir," she raised her head and met his eyes head on, "I… I was living with my grandmother, she has a small house in Grass Country. S-she just passed away recently and so I decided to return to Konoha,"

Sakura breathed in softly and prayed to every existing God that he would buy her lie. She was never good at lying. It was one of those things that Tsunade-Shishou kept criticizing about her.

"_One of the many qualities that a ninja needs to achieve success is to know how to lie a flawless lie,"_

"I am very sorry to hear about your parents and your grandmother. Perhaps we should discuss your stay?" Yondaime questioned and Sakura noticed that his tone of voice had changed slightly. She had always been good at noticing people's behavior. He seemed more aware and Sakura realized that he knew. He knew that it was a lie, "So if you'll follow me, we'll adjourn to my office. You'll find that the pain medication you were administered is now taking effect and you will feel no pain,"

Sakura rose slowly from the bed, stretching her legs, testing her own strength. Yondaime was right. There was no pain whatsoever. Satisfied, she stood and faced him.

Minato smiled encouragingly at her and walked towards the door, her following in his wake. She noticed for the first time that she was under the hospital clothes. A white t-shirt and white pants. She then stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"I'll need some shoes," Sakura blushed slightly earning a soft chuckle from the blond.

"Ahh, of course. Stay here," with that Sakura blinked stupidly as he disappeared out of her sight with a single hand sign. One minute later he was back and carried a small bag, "I forgot these," he told her as he scratched his blond-hair.

Once again Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable. It was as if she was staring at a completely different Naruto.

Sakura returned to follow the blond. As soon as she stepped outside the hospital she took a deep breath and couldn't help but to smile at the soft gentle breeze that caressed her skin. As they journeyed through the calm and empty streets of Konoha, Sakura couldn't help to notice a few differences. The streets were wider and cleaner. The houses didn't look so old and some buildings looked quite recent. The town was so different and yet, familiar. Many other things made the pink-haired girl pause briefly before continuing on after the Yondaime. She tried to take in everything, but after a while her head hurt and she discontinued her careful observation.

One thing she was completely sure of. This was her home. No matter what time she was at, she was home. There was neither screams nor cries of pain. There were no burning buildings. Discreetly not wanting to look like a fool she closed her eyes and smelled in the familiar air, one not polluted with the stench of death and betrayal and let out a sigh.

She was home indeed.

When Sakura first realized she was right in front of the Hokage's office. She pulled up short when Minato opened the door. He moved to allow her entry way. Sakura quickly stepped in. Her emerald eyes stared at the well-organized desk so different from Tsunade's. She could feel the tears prickle her eyes as a small part of her hoped to see the blonde-haired woman behind the desk drinking sake and assure her that everything was nothing but a big joke.

Her almost watery eyes gazed around. There were many things that looked slightly familiar and others that were completely strange to her.

"Please, have a seat,"

Sakura mumbled a shy, 'thank you' and took a seat across his desk and watched as he sat down behind the desk. She watched him carefully, waiting for him to speak first.

Minato looked at her as if he was still choosing what to say, "you asked for Tsunade earlier. Do you know her?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes and urged herself to think of something. She opened her mouth as if to speak but decided to close it.

Minato rose from his seat abruptly and walked towards the window. He then turned to stare at the pink-haired kunoichi. His blue eyes had a hint of determination, "Sakura…" the way he pronounced her name made her feel weak and vulnerable, "It's clear that you do not wish to confide with me," he brought his hand in mid-air stopping her before she could interrupt him, "You are a very bad liar," he added with a playful smile on his lips.

Sakura eyes widened as his lips curved into a smile.

"However, whatever it is, I believe I will find out soon enough. Whether by yourself or from my own merit. Be warned that I will be quite persistent and until then you will be under my team supervision," Minato finished as he took his seat back.

Sakura nodded slowly still not sure of what to say. Whatever it meant, to be under his team supervision… it couldn't be that bad. Right?

* * *

How would it be to have a new life? Completely new, a white sheet of paper on which she could write whatever she wanted, but this time more carefully, more cautiously, more wisely, more deliberately... Or perhaps not. Perhaps she would change nothing. Then again, how could she not change the future? How could she close her eyes when she could save everything and everyone?

Sakura tossed and turned on the hospital bed. What would she change, then? _What would you change, Sakura? _Somehow she could not concentrate, and it annoyed her, almost as much as the fact that she could not sleep.

It was the second sleepless night in a row, and she was tired of her own musings. She was tired of thinking. She pulled a pillow from under her head, and pressed it to her face. Why she could not sleep?! She threw the pillow on the floor, and sat up in the bed, resting her head against the wall behind her.

That blond man smile, it brought her painful memories. It was remarkable how he and Naruto looked so alike. There was also an odd feeling; something inside her kept nudging her as if she was supposed to figure something out. _But what exactly?_

Not only that but he knew. Yondaime was pretty much aware of her lie and yet allowed her to stay. Though she was under his team supervision, it was still a good thing right? Sakura knew that he was taking the right measures to keep an eye on her. Until she proved herself, she would have him and others constantly watching her.

Still, she had decided not to tell a word. It was her little secret.

Sighing, Sakura decided to jump of the bed. Her warm toes greeted the cold stone floor. Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand on her mouth suppressing a loud curse. She quickly made her way to the windows. She pushed away the pallid curtains and blinked as the warm sun seeped in through, heating up her pale features.

Suddenly a soft knock was heard and Sakura turned around almost excitedly. Yondaime had told her that he would find her a place to stay for a few weeks until she got the means to support herself.

"Come in," Sakura blurted out as her emerald eyes fixed themselves on the door.

The door was slowly opened aside revealing a brown-haired girl. She seemed to be around Sakura's age. She was a tad taller than the pink-haired kunoichi and she also had two purple stripes, one on each cheek.

"Ano, are you Sakura Haruno?" the young girl asked with a gentle smile gracing her features.

"Hai," Sakura answered quietly as she studied the girl ahead.

"I'm Rin," the girl introduced herself.

As Rin approached Sakura noticed the bags she was carrying, "I… I brought you some clothes. I hope they'll fit,"

Sakura eyed the bags with interest. She was dying to take the hospital clothes off, "Thank you." Sakura accepted the bags and placed them on the hospital bed.

"Uhm… Minato-sensei asked me to take you in for a while until y-you've got the means to stand on your own," Rin added softly.

Sakura nodded, "Thank you. Thank you so much," the pink haired kunoichi raised a curious eyebrow as the brunette girl blushed.

"W-we're also going to be team mates," Sakura green orbs widened at the new piece of information.

"Really? That's _great_," Sakura spoke with a feigned tone of excitement. She had more on her mind that form a team right now. She needed to gather information; she needed to start acting if she wanted to save her real team.

Rin smiled politely and both remained in silent for a few minutes. Sakura couldn't help but to feel so useless at making up at least some topic. The truth was that she had nothing to talk about. She was never good at talking with strangers. Then again, Rin didn't seem the talkative type of girl which it didn't help to kill the silence.

"Rin!" a very _familiar_ voice sounded behind them. Sakura and Rin, both turned around at the same time.

Sakura's heart dropped at that very moment. It was as if she was being strangled and all of her air was vanishing right there. Her hands started to tremble but she quickly hid them behind her back.

Her emerald eyes couldn't believe in what she was seeing.

It was Kakashi-sensei or well a much younger version of Kakashi-sensei.

The silver-haired nin had the famous mask covering most of his face. He rose a wonderingly eyebrow as he stared at a dumbfounded pink-haired girl.

"I… I've been looking for you," Kakashi said. His uncovered eye still fixed on the strange pink-haired girl.

Rin's cheeks grew redder than before, "K-Kakashi, t-this is our new team mate,"

Sakura jaw dropped. _No way. No way!_ This couldn't be happening to her.

"What?!" Kakashi asked as his eyes darted away from the pink-haired girl to Rin.

Sakura looked slightly surprised with the silver-haired boy harsh tone.

Rin forced a smile, "Minato's-sensei orders,"

However, when she finished the sentence, the silver-haired nin was nowhere to be seen. Sakura and Rin remained in silence as they stared at the door.

Sakura wondered what Kakashi problem was. She had never seen him act this… childish. Then again he was a child, well a teenager. Slowly Rin turned to stare at her, "I'll b-be waiting outside,"

"Alright," With a sigh, Sakura headed over to the bag and withdrew a pair of blue pants that were slightly shorter on her ankles. She spotted a matching blue t-shirt and quickly shoved the hospital t-shirt on the floor and dressed the blue one. She took the marvelous scent of the blue t-shirt.

Sakura was done dressing and sat briefly on the bed taking in what had just happened. She knew that she would meet someone she knew. It was inevitable.

Her thoughts flew back to the brunette girl. Sakura detested the thought that she was unable to provide for herself and had to depend on others. For that reason she promised herself that she was going to pay Rin's hospitality and kindness.

Sakura jumped to her feet and made her way to the door. She stopped as she could hear faint voices from behind it.

"And you agreed to it?"

Sakura frowned. It was Kakashi's voice and he didn't seem happy at all.

"A-ano… I… t-tried t-to… Minato-sensei he said t-that it was time t-to find a new t-team mate and-"

"And you agreed to it?" Kakashi repeated, this time his voice was low and sounded somewhat dangerous.

"H-hai…"

Sakura eyes narrowed. Why on earth was Rin so benevolent towards Kakashi? He was being a total brute! He should be punched!

"Why?!" his voice grew louder and sounded quite exasperated.

"Because our team… our t-team is falling apart!"

Sakura took a deep breath. She now couldn't help but to feel that she and Rin were very much alike. She was only trying to save her team like she and Naruto had fought to save hers. In a whole different way, but the main purpose was there.

"Our team is already finished," Kakashi's voice scared Sakura. It was filled with so much pain. She lowered her eyes as tears threatened to fall. He was her sensei. She felt this urge, this need to comfort him. Of course she restrained herself. It would be rather awkward if she just opened the room door and embraced the silver-haired nin.

She heard Rin gasp.

"T-that's not t-true," the girl whispered, "Kakashi! Kakashi wait!"

Sakura sighed and then opened the door. Rin's back was turned on her and Sakura could clearly see that the girl was crying. Sakura stared ahead and could still Kakashi walk down the corridor.

"Baka," she whispered as she placed a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder.

* * *

"Kakashi calm down,"

Kakashi glared at the Hokage-sama, his sensei.

"Calm down?" Kakashi repeated, "You promised! No one would ever take his place!"

Minato sighed as he rose from his seat, "No one will ever take Obito's place. That's something that no one will ever succeed. Obito is irreplaceable so you needn't to worry. Besides, it is only a temporary thing,"

Kakashi raised a curious eyebrow, "Who's she? I never seen her before,"

"Aha, that's the real deal. No one has ever seen her before," Minato smiled as Kakashi frowned, "She was found unconscious by Hitoshi. She had the leaf headband with her,"

"Odd," Kakashi said while Minato nodded.

"Indeed. That's why I took her in to our team. We have to find who she is, where she came from and what's her intention," Minato added as he placed a hand on his pupil's shoulder.

"B-but… why? You could have taken her to interrogation," Kakashi said looking slightly confused.

"Aha, yes but if she's really a spy… they would send others. Perhaps better ones where we would not even notice them among us," Kakashi nodded slowly at the blond words.

"Yet, if she's a spy, she is pretty much aware that she's being watched," Kakashi said as he stared at Minato.

"Yes, that's the thing. What will think her superiors when they are informed that she's with us?" Minato smiled, "They'll think she sold them out,"

"Oh," was only Kakashi response.

* * *

The two girls walked side by side.

Sakura noticed the numerous heads that turned to stare at her. She remained calm and tried her best to ignore them. Only then, after a while she noticed that they weren't staring at her but at the brunette.

Rin lowered her head and stared at the floor as they made their way through the crowded street.

"Look at that… I still have no idea why Hokage-sama insists in having her on his team… especially after…"

"I heard her family disowned her,"

Sakura's hands clenched into fists. She hated gossipers. The pink-haired kunoichi stopped walking and turned to stare at the two women who stared back.

"Do you have a problem?" Sakura asked quite angrily.

The two women seemed quite taken back with the pink-haired girl attitude. Only then they noticed the headband on her forehead and quickly shook their heads.

"S-Sakura-chan…" Rin whispered with a small smile, "Just ignore them. They're not worthy,"

"Hai," Sakura answered as she returned to the brunette's side, "I just hate when people talk that way about my friends,"

Rin stopped to stare at Sakura, her brown eyes wide, "W-we're friends?"

"Of course!" Sakura replied with a wide grin, "we're team mates aren't we?"

Rin nodded and smiled. She had gained a new friend.

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Duuh, of course,"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I even double checked. Now, can we please hurry?"

"Relax. There is no way this girl will hear us,"

The second counterpart stopped in his crawling and glared at his twin brother, "I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about sis,"

The first boy merely shrugged and pulled his long raven hair from his brown eyes, "So that's why we need to make it quick."

The second boy nodded and sighed, "Right, so we go in and get out as quickly as possible,"

"That's the plan,"

The door was slowly opened and the two boys crawled in. They both took their time in order not to make any more noise than necessary. They stared at each other with two naughty smirks playing on their faces. The second boy nodded as a sign and the first one nodded back. Then, they separated, one heading towards the head of the bed while the other headed towards the foot.

The second boy withdrew a small wooden box from his robe and placed a hand on his mouth to stop himself from giggling. He stared at the box and could hear a faint noise coming from inside, "Alright…" he said slowly, opening the box.

"If you even think about putting those on me, I will make sure to rip every member of your body and feed them to the dogs," the body from the bedspoke, turning piercing emerald eyes on the second boy.

The two boys jumped as they were caught and the box went flying into the air.

"Oh no," the second boy mumbled as he eyed the flying box.

"KENJI YOU BAKA!" the first boy shouted as he immediately stood up and started to scratch his skin where very small green bugs were now crawling over him.

"Sorry! Sorry! Stay still!" the second boy screamed as he tried to remove the green bugs from his brother skin.

Sakura sat on the bed and stared at the young boys with a victory smile, "so you're Rin's little brothers," a small laugher escaped her lips as the two boys kept trying to remove the bugs from themselves.

"RIN!" the boys cried in unison as the first one fell to the floor, scratching his back on the wooden floor.

"What's going on here?" Rin asked as she came running into the room. Her brown eyes stopped on the two boys and her expression hardened.

"Kenji! Kenjiro!" she called his names with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Rin help!" Kenji asked as he kept scratching himself. His face was already red of scratching.

Rin's expression softened as she joined Sakura and started to laugh.

Her two brothers immediately stopped as they stared at their laughing sister. It was something completely new for them to hear her laugh this way. Her laugh warmed their hearts.


	3. Tres

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately Naruto does not belong to me

**A/N: Once again thank you all to everyone who sticked with me so far! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**A little warning though. We don't see much of Kakashi on this chapter but I promise that there will be a lot of Kakashi/Sakura interaction on the next one. **

**This chapter is to show how Sakura is adapting to her situation. I also introduced some other characters, which you will clearly see later on. And be aware of the little hints I'm leaving behind! **

**Once again a big thanks to all who reviewed!**

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

When Sakura Haruno was a little girl, she found herself lost in the mass of crowded streets of Konoha and an old blue-haired woman walked her home. The old woman had a mysterious knowing smile that caught the little pink-haired girl out of guard. It felt as if that old woman could peek through her soul.

The old woman told her that life was the best teacher, that life possessed the wisdom that no human would be able to possess. Each lesson it taught, each test it handed out, remained forever craved in your mind.

It had sounded like a riddle to the young six-year-old little girl who couldn't comprehend yet the meaning of such deep words. But, Sakura knew that those words were meant to never forget. Those words had a much deeper meaning; it was as if they were meant for her to remember much later.

At the age of seventeen, life taught her all sorts of unforgettable lessons: good not always triumphed over evil, everything you needed to know couldn't always be found in books, not everything was what it seemed, what didn't kill you made you stronger, it was always darkest before the dawn, and not _everyone_ that passed through your life was meant to stay.

But those weren't the only lessons that she learned.

She now learned that everything she knew was now gone. She was all alone and more importantly she was alone and stuck in the past.

One thing she knew. Things were about to get pretty messed.

The weight of her secret crushed her. It was too much for her to bear. Yet, she raised her head and sighed.

She had to.

No one was allowed to know. The future that she had knowledge of was a treasure that many would kill for.

She now had a dangerous game to play ahead. Her own quest, her own little mission.

She was going to help Naruto.

Sakura frowned as her head screamed his name. Naruto… if he had somehow survived… he would be broken beyond repair. What would the blond do when he found out that besides Sasuke, his other bond, _her_, was gone?

Tears left her eyes without warning blurring her vision. Her heart… well, it still thumped in her chest and pumped blood through her body, but it felt so damn empty, so damn drained and was also broken beyond repair.

She didn't belong here… she wanted to go back… she wanted to see his whiskered face, she wanted to hear him laugh, she wanted him to invite her for ramen… hell she would even treat all the ramen he wanted if that meant for her to return…

"Naruto… I… promise you. I'll make sure to change things for the better."

Sakura wiped the tears away and smiled in reassurance. The future was still a bright one, there was still time.

"Sakura?"

The kind voice broke through Sakura fortress, forcing her thoughts away from the past. She slowly turned around and shook her head gently, forcing herself to look at a fallen leave on the floor, "Ehh, yeah," she bit her lower lip and hid her shaking hands behind her back, "I… was just remembering some things,"

Minato nodded his head in understanding and smiled softly at her. The pink-haired kunoichi almost felt bad for lying, but she knew that she could not tell him what was really bothering. The young girl forced a smile and couldn't stop the thought that perhaps she should have asked Sai to teach her to hide her emotions.

Yondaime looked up and his mouth instantly formed a straight line as two teenagers passed by greeting the Hokage in a warm manner.

"Iruka and Kyo are excellent shinobi," Immediately Sakura head turned to stare at the two boys, a small smile played on her lips as she spotted her old sensei. Iruka looked quite carefree and much younger. His face was still free of that famous scar, "Come, Sakura, I will introduce you,"

"Wha- err. No it's quite alright," Sakura tried to argue but Minato cut her off as he gently dragged her along.

"Nonsense, it will be good for you to meet some people your own age. After all they are fellow Shinobi," Minato said with a triumph smile fixed on his face as he knew Sakura couldn't possible argue back.

Sakura sighed and her shoulders sank in defeat.

"Hello!" Minato cheered in a happy manner as the two teenager's eyes them with curiosity.

"Hokage-sama!" both teenagers said as they bowed their heads in a respectful manner.

"I'd like to introduce you all to Sakura Haruno. She's in my team," The Hokage said matter-of-factly as he warmly smiled at the two teenagers.

Iruka raised a curious eyebrow and smiled at Sakura who couldn't help but to smile back. On the other hand, Kyo dark eyes eyed her intently sending a cold feeling down her spine.

Iruka was the first to step forward with a grin on his tanned features, "Nice to meet you. I'm Iruka Umino and this is Kyo Uchiha,"

Sakura blinked as she stared at the dark-haired boy standing next to Iruka. She was in the presence of an Uchiha. Maybe… maybe she could still save the clan and that way saving Sasuke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Sakura said as she offered her best smile.

Feeling rather awkward as she stared at Iruka's eyes she darted her emerald eyes away.

"Sakura!!" a cheerful voice interrupted the odd silence.

Sakura and the others turned their attention to a waving Rin with two young children trotting behind. The pink-haired girl stared at Minato as if asking permission to go over there and he merely nodded.

"Okay, you both, listen up," Minato said as he pushed the boys closer, discreetly glancing over Sakura, "I want you to watch over her. There isn't much information about her but I have a feeling there is nothing to worry about her but it's still better to make sure. I want you both to make her feel comfortable, in other words to gain her trust. You got it?"

Both boys nodded, "Hai,"

"Uh… if you don't mind me asking," Kyo started as he too glanced over the pink-haired girl, "how is Kakashi reacting?"

"He'll get over it, eventually," Minato answered with a sad smile.

Kyo turned his attention away from the blond and stared at the pink-haired girl and watched as she forced a smile as the brunette girl, Rin, talked. He was still listening to Yondaime's and Iruka conversation but paid them no regard. His attention was fully on the pink-haired girl. There was something that bothered him when she heard that he was an Uchiha. She looked quite shocked.

"She is a pretty little thing," he heard Iruka say to him. When Kyo looked back to his friend he noticed that the Hokage was now close to the girls.

"Hn, I couldn't care less about what she looks like," he said annoyed, "The Hokage is right, she is hiding something,"

Iruka nodded, "The first step is to gain her trust,"

* * *

The old man stared at his old office. He could spot from the well cleaned window his face carved in the mountain. A small smile played on his lips and the wrinkles quickly became visible as his lips curved up.

It hadn't been that long ago since he abandoned the office, since he had finally got rid of all the paper work and the long hours of meetings to solve problems that seemed to never have an end.

"Ahm ahhm," a light coughing interrupted the man's thoughts.

"Ahh, finally." The man spoke as he turned around to stare at the blond man, "Even as a Hokage, it seems that you cannot be stuck in this old office,"

Minato chuckled as he approached his sensei, "Sarutobi what brings you here?"

Sarutobi stared directly at the blue-eyed man and shook his head with a playful smile on his lips, "You called for me,"

"Ah, yes," Minato said smiling as he sat behind the desk, "You probably have heard-"

"About the new girl?" Sarutobi nodded as he interrupted, "Indeed. The village has been talking about it since she arrived,"

The old man stared down at Minato worried features.

"There is something about her…" Minato started as Sarutobi took a seat. He felt quite uncomfortable staring at Minato who was precisely sitting at his old seat, "Whenever she looks at me it's… it's as if she knows me,"

Sarutobi nodded slowly taking in the other man words, "You've marked her as a possible spy and yet you place her on your team, where no one was ever able to replace Obito before. Why? You should have followed the proceedings. She was to go to interrogation,"

Minato sighed, "True, I should have send her to interrogation,"

"But?" Sarutobi asked knowing too well that there was always a but with Minato.

"But… there is just something in her eyes…" Minato stood up and smiled sadly, "I think once you see her, you'll know what I'm talking about,"

Sarutobi nodded slowly, "Minato… just be careful. Not everything is what it looks like,"

"I know… I know. I will still have her under constant vigilance,"

Sarutobi smiled and also stood up, "And how is Kakashi taking it?"

"Not too well… not too well." Minato said as he ran his hands through his blond-hair.

Suddenly the door office is hastily opened. Sarutobi and Minato quickly stare at the red-haired girl who smiles sweetly at the older man and then glares at the blond.

"Kushina…" Minato greeted her as he tried to put on an innocent smile.

"Are you some kind of idiot?"

"Er...is that a rhetorical question?" Minato asked.

She quickly reached him and poked him in the chest, "Where the hell have you been? You're thirty minutes late. Again! Do you think I don't have anything else to do all day? Huh? Do you think I enjoy wasting my time waiting for you?!"

"Well, considering you _did_ wait...and...er...calm down…"

"Well! I take my leave," Sarutobi said but no one even listened to him.

Minato pulled an apologetic face, "Look, I'm really sorry. Something came up and… just come here,"

His both arms quickly embraced her waist catching the red-haired woman off guard. Her eyes widened at his audacity. Didn't he see she was upset?

He smiled at her flushed cheeks. Whether of embarrassment or of angry he did not care.

"M-Minato?" Kushina asks as her both hands lie on his chest trying to push him away but his hold was stronger.

"Why don't we stop this charade, eh?" Minato asks as his blue eyes fall on her rosy lips.

"What charade?" She grits through her teeth.

_She __knows__ exactly what I'm talking about. _Minato thought as he smiled naughtily.

"You know there's this..._thing_...between us."

"What _thing_?" Her eyes make into dangerous slits. He simply ignores it.

"You know we're meant to be together," he told her and she starts to shake slightly. Minato is not sure whether it's from nerves or furious anger.

The blonde the notices that her hands were now curved into fists and he quickly let her go, "I was just joking!" he said as he put his hands up and smiled nervously.

The red-haired woman clearly didn't find the joke funny at all as her eyes glared dangerously at the man in front of her.

* * *

"Shhh! I think someone's coming!" a soft voice whispered at the other two twin boys who nodded promptly and quickly opened one of the doors of the long corridor. Breathing heavily they carefully closed the door behind them and quietly stared through the door small window as two nurses passed by.

"What time is it?" the soft voice asked.

Kenji stared at the clock and his amber eyes widened, "It's time, Jiraiya-sensei!"

The white-haired man stared down at the boy and grinned, "let's get going, shall we?"

The two boys nodded and grinned back as the older man opened the door and stopped to look at both sides.

"Clear,"

"Hai," Kenjiro said as he stepped outside.

"Alright, my young apprentices. We've made it so far! Not even the greatest of Shinobi's would made such progress,"

Kenji stared at the white-haired man and nodded. His young features were filled with a strong determination.

"We're here!" Kenjiro whispered as the three of them stared at the sign.

**Private bathrooms, women only.**

"Boys." Jiraiya started as he stared at the sign glued to the wooden door. They could hear the water running, "this is it. This mission is too risked for you, besides you have to stay on guard,"

"B-but that's not what we-" Jiraiya covered Kenji's mouth with his hand.

"You do not understand the seriousness of this mission," Jiraiya said as he took a hand to his chest for dramatic effects, "I'm counting on you,"

Both boys nodded in fear as the white-haired man turned the door knob. Both were feeling tremendous proud on the elder man as the door closed behind Jiraiya.

It didn't take long though. The twins jumped quite startled as the door was abruptly opened with a wounded Jiraiya.

"RUN BOYS! RUN!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

It was dark and she couldn't see anything at all. She stretched her arms and tried to feel something solid but in vain. The air was cold and it seemed to cut her breath. She tried to focus but her mind was filled with voices. Strange voices, whispers, crying, laugher, screams, singing…

She kept opening her mouth to speak but her voice never came. She was starting to feel sick, her stomach couldn't take it much longer, and it was as if she had been on a roll coaster for long hours now.

Suddenly everything stopped. The excruciating voices, the cold air was now starting to grow warmer and she wrapped her arms around her in a miserable attempt to warm herself. The darkness was starting to dissipate and she could see a white light growing in front of her.

"_Sakura-chan?"_

She opened her mouth to speak and croaked voice left her lips, "Hello?"

Her emerald eyes could now see perfectly, she was in some kind of forest and the blond-haired boy stared at her, his deep blue eyes filled with tears.

"_Sakura?"_

Her eyes widened at the sight of a badly injured Naruto. She quickly ran to his side and kneeled down, tears now running down her pale features.

"N-Naruto…"

"Sakura… I… I'm so sorry,"

The pink-haired girl shook her head and embraced her friend, "shhh… please don't speak,"

"S-so sorry…"

"No… NO! NARUTOO!!"

"_SAKURA-CHAN!"_

* * *

Sakura quickly opened her eyes and sat on the bed gasping for air. Her throat was hurting and felt dry as if she hadn't drank water for weeks. Her head turned left and she stared at the brunette girl and attempted to smile.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Rin asked as she eyed the pink-haired girl in worry.

Sakura nodded and forced a smile, "H-hai. Just a bad dream,"

Rin nodded and smiled in reassurance, "Do you want to talk about it?"

The pink kunoichi shook her head, "No, I'm fine,"

Rin nodded hesitantly, "Alright… huh… well…"

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she pushed the blankets away.

"We have a mission…" Rin said with a sad smile, "it's been a long time since I go on a mission… with _him_,"

Sakura eyed the brunette girl and couldn't help but to wonder what had happened.

"Alright!" Sakura said feigning excitement, "I'll just get dressed and then we're ready to go!"

Rin nodded and she too went to get ready. A small smile played on her lips.

Whenever she looked up at Sakura she couldn't help the odd feeling that the pink-haired girl was the missing element. There was something about her… something that made her feel complete.

Yet, she felt guilty for feeling this way. Not to mention that it was rather disconcerting. She knew this girl for only a few days.

"Okaay! I'm ready!"

Rin chuckled as she heard Sakura shout.

* * *

Being angry was a misunderstanding. He was furious; he was ready to unleash all the possible demons on them. Rin was never late. It was usually her that was the first to arrive. Without warning he let out a loud groan of frustration.

Minato stared at the masked nin and smiled gently, "Patient,"

Kakashi looked up at his sensei and his angry posture softened up a little as the blond smiled warmly at him.

"It's that girl. She's a bad influence already," Kakashi said as he finally spotted the two laughing girls from afar.

"On the contrary Kakashi," the masked nin seemed quite surprised with the seriousness of his sensei tone of voice, "Look at her. When was the last time you saw her like that?"

Kakashi uncovered eye stared at the brunette girl. Her brown eyes beamed as her head changed direction and stared at him. His already heavy heart compressed tighter.

"She looks… happy," Kakashi concluded and Minato placed a hand on the silver-haired teenager.

"Hai,"

"Minato-sensei! Kakashi-kun!" Rin exclaimed as she approached them.

Sakura on the other hand only bowed her head as in a greeting manner and avoided the masked nin.

"You're late," Kakashi bluntly said.

Rin smiled vanished and she quickly mumbled an apology.

Sakura rolled her eyes and forced herself to stare at the young Kakashi, "Yeh, you know… on the way here, Rin and I had to show the way to an old woman and help her to carry her luggage…"

At that very moment everyone froze.

Rin gasped.

Kakashi looked quite taken back. His uncovered eye widened and was staring at her as if she had said something from another world.

Minato attempted to smile but failed miserably.

Sakura felt a knot on her throat even though she had no idea what she had said wrong. After all, Kakashi sensei often gave them lame excuses of the sort.

* * *

_Next Chapter Preview_

"Look you!" Sakura said as she glared at the silver-haired boy who merely looked absolutely bored as she pointed her index finger at him, "If you think you can pull that tough guy act with me you are absolutely wrong!"

"Okay," Kakashi answered as he sat down and leaned his back on the tree and closed his eye.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and a loud scream filled her head. Who would have thought that a young Kakashi was this aggravating? Her hands formed a fist and she quickly crouched and punched the ground with all her strength.

Kakashi quickly jumped out of the way of the massive rocks and broken trees. He stared at her in pure awe.

"Just… who are you?" He said as he played with his favorite kunai in his fingers.


	4. Quatro

Flaming Heart

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.

**Author's Note****: ****I am deeply touched and thrilled by how many people have read this and enjoyed so far.**

**By the way, Kakashi is 18 years old and Sakura and Rin are one year younger. **

**Thanks for your attention,**

**Please Enjoy.**

* * *

"You're late," Kakashi bluntly said.

Rin smiled vanished and she quickly mumbled an apology.

Sakura rolled her eyes and forced herself to stare at the young Kakashi, "Yeh, you know… on the way here, Rin and I had to show the way to an old woman and help her to carry her luggage…"

At that very moment everyone froze.

Rin gasped.

Kakashi looked quite taken back. His uncovered eye widened and was staring at her as if she had said something from another world.

Minato attempted to smile but failed miserably.

Sakura felt a knot on her throat even though she had no idea what she had said wrong. After all, Kakashi sensei often gave them lame excuses of the sort.

Sensing that things weren't going as planned; Minato coughed lightly managing to catch the teenagers' attention.

"What matters is that you're finally here," said Minato as he glared at Kakashi and then smiled at both girls. Minato moved to the pink-haired girl side and placed a hand on her shoulder, "This is an easy mission. You are to leave to the Water country and find a man named Masaru. He is one of our spies and he was supposed to report to us two weeks ago. We haven't heard from him ever since. You are to find out what happened and immediately report to me. Understood?"

Sakura nodded slowly as the Hokage wide grin caused small shivers go up and down her spine.

"Hai," Rin said as she smiled at her mentor and at the pink-haired girl.

"When are we leaving?" asked Kakashi as he walked past Sakura bumping against her shoulder on purpose.

Sakura turned to stare at the back of the silver-haired ninja. Her head screamed for his blood.

"Today," Minato answered and watched as Kakashi stopped abruptly, "prepare your things, you're leaving in one hour," he then stared at the other girls who nodded.

Sakura nodded absently as she was still occupied glaring at the silver-haired teenager who seemed oblivious to her dangerous staring.

"Kakashi, you're on charge of the team."

Kakashi turned around and stared at the three of them. Minato-sensei looked as calm and serene as ever. Rin looked slightly nervous and the pink-haired girl seemed quite surprised to hear that he was in charge.

He smirked and his dark eye beamed as he stared directly to her green challenging eyes.

* * *

Sakura watched as he marched a head. He kept walking and walking through the masses of trees and simply looked forward. He looked SO confident and had this MASSIVE superior expression that it ANNOYED the hell out of her.

Rin glanced nervously at the quiet pink-haired girl as she walked right behind Kakashi. She noticed the furious glances that Sakura would occasionally throw at the masked boy whenever he gave them some directions or commented that they were too slow.

The brunette shook her head slightly as she jumped from a tree branch and landed with a soft thump next to the pink-haired girl. Slowly, she looked at Sakura who stared back at her with a soft smile.

It was a rather awkward feeling. The animosity between Kakashi and Sakura… and the earlier excuse that Sakura had handed out… it somehow brought back unwanted memories. They were unwanted, not because they were bad memories but because they were the painful kind of ones.

Suddenly Sakura stopped and smirked. Rin stopped to stare at the other girl and arched a curious eyebrow.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" Rin asked as she tried to focus on their surroundings. She couldn't feel or sense anyone besides Kakashi and Sakura.

Sakura remained in silence as she finally noticed that Kakashi had too stopped and was now walking towards them.

"What?" he asked as he stared at both girls.

Rin shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Kakashi eye fell on Sakura expectantly.

"We're lost aren't we?" Sakura asked with a knowing smirk embellishing her pale features.

His eye stared at her indifferently, "And why would you think that?" he questioned. His voice was calm.

Sakura placed a hand on her hip, "Oh… let us see… because we've been here before?" she added sarcastically as she pointed her index finger at a dying tree.

Rin giggled quietly, "You're right. Here I've brought a map," the brunette placed her backpack on the floor and started to search for the map when a strong grip held her arm.

"We won't require a map. We're not lost," said Kakashi as he pulled Rin up.

"Yeah we are," Sakura retorted as she frowned. Her face twisted in confusion as she stared at the silver-haired nin. This boy couldn't possible be the Kakashi she knew.

"We're not," Kakashi said as he stepped towards the pink kunoichi.

Rin quickly placed her backpack on her back and laughed nervously, "Ha ha… well maybe we should just g-get going. It's getting dark and we n-need to camp,"

"Face it. We're lost," Sakura said as she watched him step closer. If she was supposed to feel intimidated it was not working.

Kakashi had a glare fit to freeze the blood, capable of sobering the most frivolous spirit, and yet Sakura was unabashed. She grinned and she too stepped forward. She was now facing him, "So? We're lost, aren't we?"

"No."

"That sounds quite defensive." Sakura said with a small glint of victory in her green eyes.

"Well if you're so sure I got us lost why you don't show us the way?" Kakashi said obviously irritated.

"Because I, like _you _don't know the way," Kakashi snorted obviously expecting that from her. Sakura forced a smile, "So If I don't know the way… you don't either and Rin owns a map, I say she'll lead us,"

Rin brown eyes almost popped out at the pink-haired girl suggestion.

"I… er… n-not so s-sure-"

"Fine," Kakashi said as a small smirk formed underneath his mask.

"Good," Sakura said as she walked past him, "Shall we go?"

Rin sighed and nodded. The brunette had a feeling that this mission was doomed to fail. There was one thing that she never managed to get a hold of and that would be _directions_.

Sakura and Kakashi both stared at Rin who was now burying her nose on the strange map. The map looked rather old and worn out of much usage. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and spared a discrete look at the pink-haired kunoichi who was staring at Rin impatiently.

A small smirk formed underneath his dark mask as he too darted his eyes back to the brunette girl. He knew that she was completely helpless when it came to directions. Rin had always trusted him and Obito to lead the way for her. She was after all the medic-nin. She was supposed to be a follower not the one who people followed.

Rin could feel their eyes on her and that was not making it any better. She stared at the map and could see some old scribbling at what seemed to be small and badly sketched mountains. She poked the small mountains and ran her finger to what seemed to be a river. Her eyes widened at the sight of a capital W on the circled area by water.

_This has to be it_, Rin thought as her own heart beat increased.

"Alright, we're heading north," The brunette announced and both Kakashi and Sakura turned their heads to their new direction.

"So north it is!" Sakura exclaimed as she dragged Rin along leaving a pouting Kakashi behind.

* * *

The sun must have shivered when it descended slowly over the horizon. The atmosphere was chill and the sky was mottled with lumps of cold dark gray vapor, and through all the air was a serene feeling that dazzled his heart.

Leaning a shoulder against the frame of the large egg-shaped window, Minato Namikaze appreciated the view while sipping merrily from a mug of hot coffee. Finally, he heard the knock on the door. An intense blue eye turned to the door, the corner of his lips quirked upwards in a wide smile.

"Enter," Minato said as he placed his now empty mug on his well-organized desk.

The door was quickly opened with a bang, the loud noise echoing through the wide corridor. There, stood a big white-haired man with his arms wide opened and a smile ear to ear.

"Hokage!" the man almost shouted as he stepped in the office without any ceremony.

Minato shook his head as he smiled warmly at the man in front of him.

"Jiraiya," Minato almost whispered as he closed the space between them and hugged the white-haired man patting the man's back as he did so.

It had been two long years since he had last seen his mentor who had left the village under the pretext to study for his latest novels.

Jiraiya gently let go of the embrace and eyed his student with pride clearly beaming in his big eyes.

"So I've heard that you got caught peeking again." Minato said as he tried to maintain a serious face.

Jiraiya merely waved a hand in dismissal, "The boys. Those two boys practically forced me to,"

Minato rolled his eyes but a smile graced his young features as he stared at his old sensei. He had missed him.

"So I've heard about this… new girl," Jiraiya said as he started to walk through the office, inspecting, memorizing every bit of it. Minato arched an eyebrow.

"You're late though," Minato said as he sat on his desk watching as Jiraiya moved around and peeked through the bookshelves, "I wanted you to have a look at her,"

"I'm late?" Jiraiya asked as he stopped to look at the blond, "Where is she?"

"She went along with Kakashi and Rin," Minato said and watched the other man face intently.

For a few seconds, Jiraiya merely stared ahead at his ex-pupil. No emotion or expression could be read in the man's face.

"You sent her on a mission," It was not a question and yet Minato nodded.

"Yes," Minato said as he held his hand up stopping the white-haired man to speak further, "I had this conversation with Sarutobi earlier today. I have no reasons to believe that this girl is a spy. However, she is definitely hiding something,"

Jiraiya sighed, "You've always trusted your brains more than you're heart. What happened to your brain this time? You know that spies are highly skilled in the art of deceiving."

Minato nodded and smiled.

"_My parents are dead, sir," _

"_I… I was living with my grandmother; she has a small house in Grass Country. S-she just passed away recently and so I decided to return to Konoha,"_

There was no way that that girl was a spy.

"Well then, I think I can arrange to stay for a while, just to have a good look at this girl," Jiraiya said as he smiled at his ex-student, "Now, tell me… how old is she again?"

Minato sighed and shook his head, "How about we go get us some Ramen?"

Jiraiya interest perked as he smiled broadly, "Your treat! Now tell me… how are you and that red-haired girl coming along?"

Minato grabbed his long blue coat and smiled, "Kushina and I? We couldn't be better,"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "No progresses?"

Sighing Minato bowed his head in defeat, "Nop,"

"Tsttt… you need to read my book,"

"I did," Minato answered as they walked down the corridor.

The white-haired man almost jumped in delight, "Well?"

"Two broken ribs," was Minato only reply.

* * *

The three of them stared at the perfect spot to rest. The area was not too far and not too close to the main road and the trees were tall enough to hide if something happened. Rin asked if they should put up a tent, earning a glare from Kakashi who mumbled something about incompetence and Sakura narrowed her eyes at the silver-haired nin controlling herself not to strangle the stupid brat that hadn't yet stopped complaining or making rude remarks at everything that the brunette girl did or said.

Sakura knew that he was only acting like that because of her. He knew that it annoyed her immensely when he did that only because he wanted her to defend the brunette and then start a verbal assault with him which was exactly what they had been doing for the past hours.

Rin on the other hand seemed quite used to his rude comments so she simply ignored them and tried to calm down the pink-haired girl.

"Is he always like this?" Sakura asked as they sat next to each other, while Kakashi had gone to collect some wood to make a fire.

Rin looked up at the pink-haired girl and smiled. Sakura heart thumped harder against her chest as she noticed the deepness of sadness within the brunette's eyes.

"It's… it's a long story," Rin mumbled as she fixed her chocolate eyes on the green grass.

Sakura nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's quite alright… it's something that happened years ago b-but it's still so… so carved in our hearts," Sakura felt herself misplaced as tears started to fall freely down Rin's face, "We were on a mission… and Minato-sensei… h-he gave Kakashi full control of the t-team. It was supposed to be a happy day you know? Kakashi had just made jounin at thirteen and we were all thrilled about it,"

Sakura heart started to beat faster. She wanted to say something, something to stop the crying girl from talking since it was so painful. And the pain, those painful words, it was so damn contagious.

"And Obito… well he was late as always," Sakura repeated the boy name in her head and suddenly everything fell in place.

She was so stupid. She was usually quick to gather the pieces and form the puzzle but this time… everything just passed right through her eyes. The lack of one member on the Yondaime's team. Kakashi reaction to her addition to the team… it was_ almost_ what she and Naruto felt about Sai. It was like Sai didn't belong there. It was Sasuke's place.

"He was always late, always. And he was also always smiling, a-always… always making everyone laugh. B-but that day… everything… e-everything went wrong," Rin let out a loud sob and Sakura found herself embracing the brunette girl.

"Shhh, it's alright," Sakura whispered as tears threatened to fall down her face, "You don't need to talk about it," Sakura added feeling quite guilty to have asked it in the first place.

"N-no…" Rin said as she pushed away from Sakura holding and wiped her tears away, "It's not o-okay. It was me. It was because of me that… t-that he died. I… if only I wasn't the weakest link… then…t-then he would still be alive,"

"Rin…" Sakura started not really knowing what to say.

"I was… I was caught by the enemy shinobi and t-they came to rescue me and he… he… he got crushed… oh my god… sometimes I still feel as if he is about to call my name at any time… sometimes I still feel that he's going to ask me if I want some Ramen…"

Sakura stared perplexed at the sobbing girl. It was like looking at herself in a broken mirror. Rin was broken… Rin was her but a much broken version.

"And he made… he made Kakashi promise that he would always look out for me… even… e-even when he was… d-d-dying… he still thought of others above himself… s-stupid.. So stupid… his smile… I just can't forget his smile!"

_Tap._

"You don't want to forget his smile,"

Rin massaged her burning cheek. Her watering eyes stared at the pink-haired girl who had just slapped her.

Rin chocolate eyes watched as Sakura stood up.

Sakura's face was staring at the horizon where the sun was quickly hiding away. The gentle breeze caressed her face and she closed her eyes.

"You should live on and be thankful that his last smile was directed at you,"

Rin blinked as a few more tears escaped her eyes.

Sakura then smiled down at the dark-haired girl, "You know… take his beliefs… a little of him inside you, to never forget him is the key,"

Seeing that the brunette was still taken back and not fully comprehending her words, Sakura carried on, "When he died that day… he didn't want to be forgotten Rin. He wished for you to smile whenever you thought of him, he wanted you to always remember as the boy who always got late and infuriated Kakashi-sensei beyond limits,"

Sakura smiled a secret smile as she could see a hyperactive blond Naruto annoying the arrogant Uchiha.

"You see… there will always be days when you think that there was still much left unsaid, when you will ask yourself why things don't last and why all the good things disappear so fast," Sakura breathed in and out, "that's life Rin, and you have still a long life a head. I guarantee you that. You have people that love you all around you. Obito was not the only one who cared for you. He would want you to move on, to carry on smiling that bright smile you have. That's what he died for."

"S-Sakura-chan…" Rin whispered as she stood up and embraced the pink-haired girl catching Sakura completely out of guard. Both girls ended up losing balance and fell on the floor with a loud thump.

Rin sobbed quietly as she held tightly to the other girl while Sakura eyes remained on a silver-haired boy who was staring at her right between the trees.

_I understand now…_ Sakura thought as she softly tightened her arms around the crying girl.

* * *

He had been watching them for a while now. He used the pretence to go look for wood to observe her. He hid himself between the trees and used his stealth technique.

They seemed to be talking about a touchy subject because out of the sudden Rin had started to cry. He sighed as he watched her trembling shoulders, her lower lip trembled and the tears fell like cascades down her face.

He hated to see her cry. It always made him feel quite useless.

In fact, if he had to chose between being captured by the enemy shinobi or to console a crying Rin he would prefer the first. He was never good at comforting others.

But, of course Rin knew that.

Curious as to why she was crying he moved closer. He leaned his back against the trunk of the tree and simply stood there listening.

It didn't take him long to realise what they were talking about. His eye widened and he almost dropped the pieces of wood onto the floor.

Rin had never mentioned what really happened to Obito to anyone. Not even Minato-sensei.

Kakashi closed his eyes tightly as the emotions were starting to get a hold of him. He want to burst in and tell her to shut up, that she hadn't the right to blurt out personal things to complete strangers but then… then when he heard the loud noise he was completely shocked to see that the pink-haired girl had slapped Rin.

At first he felt rather furious. No one touched Rin. No one.

But then… Sakura words caught him off guard the most.

They were like sharp knives running through his body.

"_You know… take his beliefs… a little of him inside you, to never forget him is the key," _

She spoke as if she had experienced it before. The lost of someone dear to her.

"_When he died that day… he didn't want to be forgotten Rin. He wished for you to smile whenever you thought of him, he wanted you to always remember as the boy who always got late and infuriated Kakashi-sensei beyond limits," _

Kakashi snorted. Even though he disliked her immensely, he couldn't help but to think that she was right. Then he froze.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he repeated to himself quite confused, "What the…"

Shaking his head as he decided that he probably heard it wrong, he decided to step aside and let his presence be known.

Kakashi black eye met emerald and a cold feeling travelled through his body, nudging him as if he was supposed to figure something out. He just didn't know what but that he was curious to find out, that he was.

"Are you quite done?" Kakashi asked as he walked forward. His trek was slow as he made his way towards them.

Rin quickly stood up and wiped her tears away, blushing furiously. Sakura merely stared at Kakashi. Instantly, the boy dropped the wood pieces on the floor and mentioned Rin to produce fire.

Kakashi stared at Sakura sympathetic smile and disregarded her as he walked past her.

Sakura couldn't help but to feel quite stupid as the smile vanished from her pale and tired features.

"Look… I think we started on the wrong foot," Sakura said as she approached the silver-haired nin.

Kakashi spared her a 'spare me' look. Sakura blinked as he remained silent.

"The fire is set!" Rin said as she eyed the both teenagers sensing that something was about to happen.

Kakashi black eye darted away from Sakura to Rin's fire. He rolled his eye and walked past the pink-haired girl leaving her staring at the empty place where he was standing. Her eyes were now two dangerously emerald slits.

"This way," Kakashi crouched next to Rin and helped the fire flames to increase.

Rin mumbled a thanks and Kakashi mumbled a 'your welcome'.

"By Kami! I was talking to you," Sakura said as she grabbed the silver-haired boy sleeve.

Kakashi quickly reacted and pulled back, "I know. And I did not respond,"

Sakura eyes almost bulged out at his cocky answer. Rin merely shook her head at their ranting. Kakashi arched an eyebrow as if asking her if she had something else to say before he turned his back on her.

Sakura wanted to split some blood. A certain masked nin blood.

"Look you!" Sakura said as she glared at the silver-haired boy who merely looked absolutely bored as she pointed her index finger at him, "If you think you can pull that tough guy act with me you are absolutely wrong!"

"Okay," Kakashi answered as he sat down and leaned his back on the tree and closed his eye.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and a loud scream filled her head. Who would have thought that a young Kakashi was this aggravating? Her hands formed a fist and she quickly crouched and punched the ground with all her strength.

Kakashi quickly jumped out of the way of the massive rocks and broken trees. He stared at her in pure awe.

"Just… who are you?" He said as he played with his favorite kunai in his fingers.

Rin fell down on her knees and closed her eyes as one small rock cut her cheek.

"Rin! I'm so.. so sorry!" Sakura said as she ran to the brunette.

Rin eyes widened as she saw Sakura's hand surrounded by green chakra.

Kakashi didn't had time to think about the pink-haired girl skills.

Sakura gasped in pain as something grabbed her arm completely stopping her chakra. She stared at Kakashi who quietly told them to keep down.

Rin and Sakura traded confused looks just before a loud explosion was heard.

They all fell unconscious.

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview!! Because I'm nice!! ;)**

Kakashi sighed, and moved closer to the other cell. His both hands clasped around the cell bars.

Sakura groggily glanced at him warily, and quickly tried to step back.

"It's me. Kakashi"

"Prove it," she said as she tried to focus her blurred vision on his silhouette.

Kakashi shook his head irritably, his spiky silver-haired moving as he stood up. Carefully, he calculated the width of the cell. "It's six by six." He mumbled to himself, but she heard him.

"By Kami! Kakashi can count! That must count as a proof," Sakura said as she spotted his silver-hair and his dark mask.

Kakashi scowled. "Shut up Haruno. Now, do you remember what happened? I'm drawing a blank. Explosion and then, nothing."

"And here I thought you wanted me to shut up."

"Out with it Haruno!"

Sakura sighed melodramatically. "Well, if you insist. Actually, I don't remember much either."

"Great. Just great."

"Kakashi? Where's Rin?"


	5. Cinco

**Flaming Heart**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

Author's Note: Yay another Update! I got excited with your wonderful reviews so I decided to add the 5th chapter. I'm kind of skeptical about this chapter. I hope everything makes sense and there aren't so many typos. I keep looking for them but a few always seem to escape me. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Sakura suddenly found herself in an up right position. She was in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, trembling and didn't know why. All she knew is that she was sitting in something fragile, as if an improvised seat, or bed. She couldn't really tell because of the darkness around and of her blurred vision. The kunoichi knew one thing though, they had been captured and she was now in some stinky dark cell.

She brought her hands to cover her face and shook her head shrugging the cell thoughts away. She focused on her dream. It was not the first time she had the same dream. She had been having them ever since she found herself back in the past with a young irritating, arrogant, bastard version of Kakashi-sensei.

The pink-haired girl heard a long exasperated sigh not too far from where she was sitting and tried to focus her hearing. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she clearly indentified the signs of her condition.

Blurred vision, soared muscles, bad hearing… she was on effect of powerful drugs.

"Owh," she whispered quite displeased and clearly annoyed with her current situation.

She had a gigantic headache and she could not think clearly. She simply closed her eyes and decided to wait for the drugs effects to wear off.

Meanwhile, just mere meters away from her, a spiky silver-haired nin eyed his surroundings. He could see clearly through the tick darkness with his red-eye. He spotted the pink-haired girl right next to his cell.

She had woken up quite agitated and short of breath. Kakashi arched an eyebrow at her worried features. It intrigued him. He suddenly felt the need to know what she had dreamed about.

He sighed once again and saw her move, she was aware her surroundings but she seemed not to know where the sound had come from. Kakashi frowned as the memories of what had happened came to him at once.

Her monstrous strength… the green chakra.

A medic-nin. By Kami, couldn't things get weirder? He would have to find a way out and immediately report to Minato-sensei.

Kakashi sighed, and moved closer to the other cell. His both hands clasped around the cell bars.

Sakura groggily glanced at him warily, and quickly tried to step back.

"It's me. Kakashi," he said as he stared directly at her confused green eyes.

"Prove it," she said as she tried to focus her blurred vision on his silhouette.

Kakashi shook his head irritably, his spiky silver-haired moving as he stood up. Carefully, he calculated the width of the cell. "It's six by six." He mumbled to himself, but she heard him.

"By Kami! Kakashi can count! That must count as a proof," Sakura said as she spotted his silver-hair and his dark mask.

She thanked all the Gods that her vision was now returning to normality.

Kakashi scowled. "Shut up Haruno. Now, do you remember what happened? I'm drawing a blank. Explosion and then, nothing."

"And here I thought you wanted me to shut up."

"Out with it Haruno!"

Sakura sighed melodramatically. "Well, if you insist. Actually, I don't remember much either."

"Great. Just great." Kakashi replied as he started to walk back and forth in his cell.

Sakura slowly turned around, her eyes adjusting more and more to the darkness. Her stomach revolved weirdly and she felt slightly dizzy as she noticed it.

"Kakashi?" Sakura voice sounded strange to her own ears as she softly whispered his name.

Kakashi stopped to look at her wonderingly. Sakura noticed his activated sharingan and remained quiet as looked directly at his red eye.

"Kakashi…Where's Rin?"

His both eyes widened and he felt as if he had been kicked on his stomach, hard. His senses were completely awoken as he replayed the simple question on his mind.

He ran a trembling hand through his hair and started to walk back and forth again, not offering the pink-haired girl an answer for she did not need one.

Sakura swallowed dry as she watched her future sensei. He seemed troubled; in fact he to be panicking and desperate. The kunoichi lowered her eyes to the floor.

She needed to think through this.

"Kakashi,"

"What do you want, Haruno?" Came the response, her name nearly spat out as if it were a curse word.

"Look, you're a complete and utter arse and I seriously am starting to despise you." Sakura gave a long-suffering sigh and then continued, ignoring the sputter of indignation.

"Whatever,"

Sakura ignored his displeased grunt, "However, due to these rather… desperate circumstances, and for Rin's sake… we have to call a truce,"

"A truce?" Kakashi repeated as he stared at her as If she was mad.

"Yes, a truce, does your feeble brain comprehend that word?"

Kakashi scowled at her form, half-hidden in the shadows of the cell.

Slowly she approached the side of his cell and she held to the bars, "We need to work our way through this. Together,"

The masked nin stopped again and stared at her. This time completely bewildered by her words. Nodding slowly he approached her, and he too held on to the bars. Their faces were merely inches away from each other.

"Alright," Kakashi whispered as he held eye contact with the pink-haired girl.

Sakura nodded and forced a smile ignoring the discomforting feeling on her stomach, "How long do you estimate we've been blacked out?" Sakura asked, her face growing serious.

Kakashi regarded her for a few seconds and shook his head, "Dammit, days?! What makes you think we've been out for days?" Kakashi asked now feeling completely stupid.

"Okay, first. I have been drugged and I can't feel any chakra run through me." Sakura eyes furrowed in frustration, "It's as if… as if they have drained it for me in order to keep me from… breaking through these cell doors,"

The silver-haired nin opened his mouth to speak but decided against it.

"So, yeah… and it takes days for the drugs to wear out, and they are at this very moment still wearing out," she whispered as she looked around her trying to see if someone was close. She couldn't hear or see a thing.

"That makes sense," Kakashi agreed, "I only started to feel my chakra return short after you woke up,"

"So… this leads us to question why they haven't come to give us another dosage," Sakura said, her emerald eyes hinting for the obvious answer.

"Rin," Kakashi whispered, his both eyes burned with hatred.

"Hai. We need to find a way out," Sakura said as she stepped back, "here… let me try something,"

Kakashi arched a curious eyebrow as he carefully watched her. Sakura focused her gaze on the steel door. As she inspected it, she could clearly see that the door was massive and that the fact that there was no guards around was quite suspicious.

These guys, whoever brought them there, seemed pretty confident that they would not escape.

Sakura took a deep breath and tried to force chakra to her fists. Nothing. She still couldn't feel a thing.

"Okay, so I can't bring the door down by using force," she told herself as she eyed the door, "Think… Sakura… think,"

She didn't need to think anymore though. Kakashi and Sakura, both froze completely as they heard the door of the cell creak open. They both regarded their own cell doors and Sakura didn't manage to catch her breath as she realized it was her cell door.

"Well, well… Now what do we have here? Awake are you?"

Sakura didn't move as a sudden light filled her and Kakashi cells, causing the figure who had spoken, causing the figure to cast long. There were looming shadows, shadows that hid all his facial features. All features except for the glittering honey eyes. They were filled with something akin to pleasure as they gazed at her.

Sakura shivered in the suddenly frigid air as her mind _kindly _reminded her that she was out of chakra.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked as he tried to take a better look at the shadowed stranger, "Where's Rin?!"

The stranger let out a light chuckle, "Oh the other girl… let's say she's providing enough entertainment. After all she is a pretty little thing, isn't she?"

Kakashi's hands drenched in anger as fury blurred his vision for a moment before he regained control.

The stranger suddenly came out of the shadows and Sakura emerald eyes widened at the sight of the man's appearance.

He was a monster.

His facial skin seemed to have been burnt and it had ugly and deep scars carved on it. He had no lower lip and he seemed to be trying to grow some hair since there was a very few amount of dark hair on top of his head.

He approached the pink-haired girl and walked in circles, his honey eyes never leaving hers, "I wonder… I wonder what the yellow-flash will offer for his beloved apprentices,"

"You bastard," Kakashi whispered, "Just wait until I'm done with you,"

"Hmm… though I have no idea who you are. My spy had quite hard time finding information about you…" the stranger's hand touched Sakura's cheek and she recoiled at his cold touch.

"Hm… that's because I'm not with_ them_," Sakura said as she stared at the stranger eyes avoiding Kakashi suspicious staring.

"Really now?" the stranger seemed surprised at her disgustful tone of voice.

Sakura said nothing else and kept avoiding Kakashi angry stare.

"Then maybe we can talk privately?" the man asked with a wicked smile on his burnt face. His skin stretched and Sakura tried her best not to make a face.

"Okay, then," Sakura said as the strange offered his hand. She stared at it considering whether or not to take it.

She felt her heart beat increase as she watched her hand reach for the man's. She forced herself to look confident as she walked outside her cell with the stranger man by her side.

"I knew it," Kakashi said as he watched her step outside, "You traitor. I'll make sure I kill you too,"

Sakura didn't respond and merely kept walking, his hatred words sinking down to her empty heart.

"A spy…" the man drawled as he led her through the corridor. Twists and turns were constant and Sakura quickly stopped to keep count.

"Yes a spy," Sakura said as cold as possible, "of the rain country,"

She risked. She kept her face as stern as possible. The man stopped to stare at her.

"Rain country?" he asked quite in shock, "What business you have against Konoha?"

Sakura smiled knowingly, "What business you have against yellow-flash?"

The man let out a dark chuckle causing the hair of her neck to stand up.

"You're a smart one… or a very stupid one," the man commented as they stopped in front of a sturdy door, made of hearty wood and several inches thick, "But if we both have business against Konoha… I ought to think we should gather strengths,"

Sakura smiled graciously as he invited her in.

"How long you've been a spy?" the monstrous man asked her as he walked towards a very old dusted desk.

Sakura quickly took a mental photograph of the office. Her puffy eyes spotted the black headband on the desk. The man noticed her curious eyes and smiled. The pink-haired girl tried as hard not to shiver as he did so. Whenever an emotion crossed the man features, his burnt skin would stretch and she could only imagine how painful it was for him to even talk when he didn't even have part of his lip.

"Curious aren't you," he said with a completely changed voice. It sounded raucous and dangerous.

"Merely trying to understand my situation here," she bluntly said as she stepped forward. Her emerald eyes were now clearly seeing the symbol on his headband.

_Earth country, _Sakura thought.

She remembered something related to the Earth Country… a war…

"I thought the Earth country had signed a peace contract," Sakura said with a devious smile on her face.

She would have loved to see Tsunade-Shishou face now as she stood there right now.

"Indeed. However, I'm not acting upon direct orders. I just hold a grudge against the Hokage,"

Sakura eyes widened and the man laughed, "Yes… he did this to me. But that's another story. I don't think we have been introduced properly. My name is Tarou,"

He stared at her expectantly.

"Sakura… Sakura Haruno,"

* * *

"You have the power to end it anytime soon," the masked man whispered in her ear and she shivered violently against the cold stone wall.

Her brown eyes locked with his absurd blank mask.

The man laughed loudly causing her skin to crawl, "I think you're enjoying this!" he said with a heavy strange accent.

His hand quickly slapped her hard across the cheekbone. Rin coughed blood to the floor and stared back at him.

"Well then… I think I'll get harder on yeh," the man said as he pulled her by her hair towards a wooden chair, "Shall we begin?"

Hours later, warm crimson trickled down her back, coating her hands that were secured behind her. She was on her knees and blood ran down a corner of her mouth as she bit down on to it hard, determined not to scream.

She wouldn't give in… She wouldn't give in… but it hurt… it hurt like hell…

The man was obviously upset by her stubborn manner. By the Gods, the girl was clearly willing not to spill a word. He was feeling rather impressed and rather disconcerted as he kept torturing her.

"Scream for me… Rin,"

The brunette eyes widened at the sound of her name. She bit her lip again, staring ahead with dead, cold eyes.

The man laughed quietly and pulled her up from the wooden chair. Rin tried her best to stay on her feet but her legs were too weak, not able to support her. Her body was a mass of bruising and lacerations that even now continued to ooze. She had a broken arm, a broken rib, and she couldn't see anything a head as her tears mixed with blood blurring her vision.

She heard as she hit the floor, his footsteps walking away from her until they became faint and finally exctint.

A smile played on her features.

She may be bruised beyond limits, she may be on the way to catch her own death, but she wouldn't be beaten.

No.

Never beaten.

Like the last time she got captured. She would never spill a word no matter what.

* * *

"Minato!"

The blond turned around to stare at the red-haired girl. She seemed out of breath as she held her arm to his chest and supported herself.

"What is it?" Minato quickly asked as he stared at her. Worry instantly flashed in his blue-eyes.

"It's reports from the water-country," she said as she tried to held her breath.

He waited patiently for her to calm down. His blue eyes fell on her long, luxurious crimson locks which were matted and tangled with dirt and sweat and she pushed it back with an annoyed grumble, "They were last seen crossing the grass country… there was… some sort of explosion… we found Rin's backpack… and your map,"

Kushina finally took her hand away from his chest as he frowned at the news.

"I… I'll go check the area if you want," she volunteered and forced a sympathetic smile.

He shook his head, "I'm going," he said as he turned his back on her.

"Where?" she almost shouted as she ran to catch up with his quick steps, "You cannot leave the village. You're the Hokage," she said as she nodded to herself, "I'm not sure how… but you are the Hokage,"

Minato smiled softly, "And they're my team. Hokage or not,"

Kushina returned his smile, "Well then, who's replacing you while you're gone?"

"That would be me," Jiraiya said as they turned left and faced the white-haired man.

"Why do I have a feeling that when we get back, there will be no Konoha?" Kushina asked while Jiraiya feigned to be hurt by her words. Minato stared at her a smirk adorning his features.

"And who's saying your coming? Shouldn't you be on your way to your village?" he asked as he winked at her.

"Pftt, honestly blondie. Who'll save your ass if I'm not around?" Kushina retorted as she trotted behind him like a lost child.

* * *

His heart screamed at him when he saw her injuries, and it felt almost as if himself was inflicted with them as well. Kakashi felt worry, anxiety, relief and a comfortableness that frightened him. She was still alive. He quickly kneeled next to her putting his bloodied kunai aside. He pushed her bloodied hair away from her face and studied her unconscious form.

He fought hard to maintain control of his emotions. Kakashi stared at her unusually silent form. His hands still caressing her hair.

He had been an idiot. Wounding their friendship all these years, in order to try to keep distant from her, because the truth was that he feared moments like the very moment he was facing. He had ruined a friendship that could have grown into great heights, but he squashed it down before it could grow.

All of it… because he had learned the hard way. He knew that shinobi could not maintain solid attachments. It was irrational to do so.

"Rin… please… wake up," he said as he pulled her close to his chest.

* * *

Rin stirred slowly, her eyes closed tightly as she stifled a loud moan as the slight movement of her arm brought the sharpest stab of agony through the length of her now fragile body. She lay still for a moment, waiting for the pain to pass. She could hear someone's heavy breathing on her face.

Her body quickly started to shiver rather violently as her heart started to race at an abnormal rate at the thought that he was back. He was back to finish her or _worse_…

Swallowing dry and what she was sure to be her own blood, she blinked and opened her eyes letting out a sigh of relief as she spotted his shiny silver hair.

Kakashi looked down at her as he quietly ran his fingers through her messy tangled hair.

"K-Ka-kashi-kun," Rin rasped.

Kakashi turned expectantly to her and let out a cry in relief, "Shhh… don't talk," he told her quietly as he tried to figure a way to carry her without inflicting her more pain.

"Kakashi…" she repeated as she forced a smile on her swollen features.

Something inside him stirred as he stared at her smile. How could she smile? How could she smile at him despite everything?

"Here… try to put your arm around my neck," he gently spoke as he stared at her brown orbs.

She shook her head, "Sakura-chan?" she asked quietly when suddenly the door of the room they were at closed behind them. Kakashi was immediately alert and tense.

"Well well… what a surprise," the voice spoke with malice, "Found yourself a new company?"

Kakashi jaw hardened and he laid Rin's head on the floor. He grabbed his kunai and turned around to face the blank masked nin.

* * *

"Anything?" Minato asked and the red-haired woman shook her head.

"No. There's no trace of them," she slowly said.

Minato nodded and turned his back on her. He kicked a rock hard which bumped against a burnt tree. The blond man growled in frustration.

They had been searching the forest for hours and there was nothing besides the explosion that could lead them towards them. He sighed as he glanced sourly at the muddy soil beneath him. It had started to rain not too long ago which made it harder for them to track the young nins.

"Don't worry," Kushina said as she crouched on the floor to touch of a small black fabric, "Kakashi is an experienced jounin,"

Minato nodded and stared towards the sky. The rain was obscuring his vision but it somehow soothed his anxiety down.

Kushina eyes stared at the dark piece of cloth. Her red eyebrow furrowed as she focused her chakra on the tip of her fingers. She watched as blue chakra slowly surrounded her fingertips and started to form a single line of blue chakra.

"M..Minato…" she whispered as her eyes widened at the sight of her blue line of chakra. It seemed to be expanding towards north.

Minato quickly turned around. His blue-deep eyes fixed on her petit form.

"You've got a trail," he said as he eyed the thin line of chakra that was heading north.

"Hai,"

It didn't take them too long to realise that the area was under a concealment jutsu. Once Minato broke through the jutsu he found the red-haired Kunoichi next to him jump in excitement, "Look! A fortress!"

"I see…" Minato was completely unmoved by her excitement and gazed at the fortress with determination flashing in his eyes.

"Well! Let's get going," she said with a wide grin as she readied herself to run towards the fortress.

"Wait," he said as he grabbed her wrist, "Look," he pointed with a movement of his head.

Kushina stared at the guards and raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Eh, are you really going to go all political on them?"

"It depends," Minato mused, a glint of his blue eyes as he stared at the tallest guard, "of your political definition,"

The red-haired girl rolled her eyes as Minato smirk graced his handsome features. They both stared at the five guards that were guarding the main gate.

"We could easily pass through them unnoticed," she whispered. When she received no answer she looked to her left side and realized Minato was long gone.

She glanced forward and groaned loudly as the blond put the last standing guard to sleep.

"Show off!"

Minato chuckled and nodded, "Sorry, I'll leave the next ones for you?" he asked with a smile. His smile was soft and sincere, and Kushina found herself nodding in spite of herself as a faint weird sensation took over her stomach. She looked away from his intense staring and turned her back on him.

By Kami, this couldn't be happening. She couldn't be possible be blushing, could she?

"I can't believe this," Minato voice sounded outrageous and all her previous thoughts including her crimson blush instantly faded away.

"What? What is it?" She asked as she approached the blond-haired who was holding on to something.

"This," he told her as he threw it to her.

Kushina mouth opened in shock at the headband. It was the same headband she had on her head.

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview!!  
**

"Sakura… Sakura Haruno," Sakura said her name but Tarou didn't quite hear it as a loud bang was heard not too far from them.

"What the-" Tarou didn't have time to finish his sentence as his office door was opened without any ceremony revealing two tall shinobi.

"Someone's here!" one of the shinobi said as he stared at Tarou which features twisted in absolute anger.

Sakura bit her lip as Tarou stood up and walked towards the other two shinobi. His back turned on her. Her rosy lips suddenly curved into a sly smile as she could feel it run through her.

Her chakra.

The pink-haired girl hands turned into fists and Tarou tensed as he could feel her killing instinct.

Sakura quickly launched herself towards him, her punch ready to hit the back of his head when something burned her arm. She quickly withdraw her arm and stared at Tarou who had a satisfied smirk on his features.

"Congratulations, you _almost_… got me,"

"Hn," Sakura simply said in a cheap imitation of Sasuke's grunt and glared at the man in front of her while the other two shinobi simply stood at the door entrance, staring, and awaiting for orders.

* * *


	6. Seis

**Flaming Heart**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

Minato chuckled and nodded, "Sorry, I'll leave the next ones for you?" he asked with a smile. His smile was soft and sincere, and Kushina found herself nodding in spite of herself as a faint weird sensation took over her stomach. She looked away from his intense staring and turned her back on him.

By Kami, this couldn't be happening. She couldn't be possible be blushing, could she?

"I can't believe this," Minato voice sounded outrageous and all her previous thoughts including her crimson blush instantly faded away.

"What? What is it?" She asked as she approached the blond-haired who was holding on to something.

"This," he told her as he threw it to her.

Kushina mouth opened in shock as she looked at the headband. It was the same headband she had on her head.

"W-what?" she whispered as her eyes stared at the headband she was holding.

Minato frowned slightly, "Look… this guy's from Grass,"

"They all have different headbands…" Kushina added as she dropped the headband on the floor as if it was cursed, "Traitors… missing nins probably,"

"Hai, so it seems," Minato said as he stared at the fortress, "Hold on Rin… Kakashi… we're coming."

"Ne… Minato, do you… do you think that new girl had something to do with this?" Kushina asked as she followed the blond-haired man towards the front gate.

Minato did not answer. Kushina could read his intense blue eyes and they had danger written on them. Kushina could only hope for the new girl sake that she was not involved, because the red-haired nin knew that Minato would not spare the new girl, especially, if one of his students got hurt.

Kushina stopped as she bumped against something solid, "Oww!" She slowly raised her head and stared at Minato's back.

Minato rolled his eyes, "Do you even stare at where you're going?" he asked as he stared at the wide opened gate.

"Watch out!" Kushina replied as she pushed him to the side as a shuriken flew right past them.

"OOooOh just look at what we have here…" a cold feminine voice echoed.

"Aha, seems like we get to have some fun as well," another voice replied, this time a male rough voice.

Minato's jaw hardened as he stared at his surrounding area. He couldn't see where the enemy was. Kushina stared ahead, her both hands were already clutching to a kunai.

"Leaf… and Whirlpool?" the male voice asked, his tone was filled with surprise.

"Interesting, isn't it?" the female voice added in.

"Show yourselves!" said Kushina as she tried to focus her hearing on their location.

The female giggled which made the red-haired nin twist with anger.

"Calm down," Minato whispered as he stared straight ahead, "Don't go using-"

"_**Kage bunshin no jutsu!"**_

"Right…" said Minato as he watched dozens of red-haired replicates jumping around.

_She never listens… _he thought as he watched one of the clones disappear into a mass of cloud.

The female voice kept giggling as the red-haired nin clones disappeared. Kushina groaned in irritation. Minato narrowed his eyes as two shuriken came in his direction. He raised his arm and with a swift movement he had a kunai in his hand and he deflected the shuriken with ease.

The female irritating voice stopped giggling and silence ruled over.

"Nice one blondie!" Kushina replied as she gave him the thumbs up. Minato shook his head at her easy-going attitude.

"Kushina…" Minato said as he could feel that something wasn't quite right.

"Hai," Kushina replied without even letting him finish. Her laid back attitude vanished at once as she straightened up, all of her senses in red alert.

Minato quickly placed himself in a defense position. The enemy had the upper hand. Their position was unknown and they could attack at any moment. Not only their position was unknown but also their ability to mask their chakra was perfect.

"Hmm,"

"Hmm?" Kushina asked as she spared him a worried look.

"Shh! I'm trying to think here," Minato said earning a glare from the red-haired nin.

"Well hurry up!" she answered quite innerved with the lack of sound or movements.

"Well if you'll just shut up then I might be able to-" Minato stopped abruptly leaving Kushina to stare at him while her foot tapped the floor in an impatient manner.

His blue eyes scanned the area one more time. He observed the tall trees, the leaves were calm and the fact that a few birds were taking the tree branches as a shelter from the rain indicated that they couldn't possibly be there. His eye then darted away to the main gate and then to it's left where a tower was standing. His jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed at the lack of evidence.

A gasp interrupted Minato's thoughts; he spared a look at Kushina who had her hand on her cheek. Red colour decorated her fingertips.

"I must say I am truly impressed that you've managed to dodge that one in time," the rough male voice spoke and Kushina tensed. The voice was right behind her and yet she couldn't see anyone.

Suddenly, she felt something grab her arm. Minato had pushed her towards him. His eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise as he noticed the movement of the enemy kunai cut through the air, sending the droplets of rain in an unusual direction.

"M-Minato?" Kushina asked as Minato jumped backwards and watched as his kunai stopped in mid-air. The sound of metal clash together.

"What?!" the female voice sounded beyond shocked.

"Aah… camouflage technique," Minato said as a smirk adorned his lips, "Very clever,"

Kushina eyes widened as she stared at the blond-haired man in front of him. She couldn't fight the small feeling of admiration swim through her. He was indeed one of the best shinobi of their generation. Kushina lips formed a shy smile as Minato smirked.

Now that the blond had figured out their trick, there was no possible escape route for them.

* * *

Kakashi spat the amount of blood inside his mouth to the floor as he glared at the blank masked nin. His free hand trembled slightly as he moved it towards his headband.

The masked nin remained quiet and silent as he watched the panting silver-haired teenager remove his headband revealing a crimson eye.

"Sharingan?" the masked nin asked. If he was surprised nothing in his tone of voice demonstrated so.

Kakashi did not reply. Instead the grip on his kunai increased.

"My… my! Things are getting more interesting!" the masked nin added cheerfully, earning a confusing look from the leaf teenager, "Here I was thinking that this fight would be a total bore! I guess I was wrong. Come on now… show me what you've got!"

"Bastard!" Kakashi groaned as he took a step forward.

The masked nin dropped his stance while sliding his right foot forward to even out his balance. He turned his right shoulder in and strikes a combat pose.

Kakashi remained calm as he watched the enemy shinobi hand grasp something from his robe.

"You know what this is?" the masked nin asked as he showed the odd metal ball that he was holding to, "Of course you don't know what it is. Allow me to explain. This is my weapon." The masked nin laughed and Kakashi merely stared at him as if he was insane, "you're friend over there and my weapon have already met each other,"

The masked nin squealed in delight as Kakashi came running at him.

Kakashi ran towards the other shinobi who dodged his attacks. Kakashi moved as fast as he could but he still couldn't land a single hit on the masked nin.

"My turn!" the masked nin exclaimed excitedly.

Kakashi jumped back as the small metal ball hit the floor. His eyes widened at the sight of the wide whip that the masked nin was now holding in his hands.

Laugher and a scream of horror echoed in the room. Rin brown eyes widened as Kakashi was caught off guard and was hit by the spiky metal of the masked nin whip. It had hit Kakashi left arm, leaving it bleeding.

Kakashi head turned toward a heavily injured Rin who was stubbornly trying to stand up, her left hand glowing green healing her right arm which was broken.

"Stay there!" Kakashi ordered roughly.

"Fool! Pay attention to the fight!"

Kakashi returned his attention to the masked nin and a gasp left his mouth as another hit landed on the same spot.

"Shit," Kakashi cursed as the masked nin laugher still echoed in his ears.

The silver-haired nin watched carefully as another swing of his whip was coming right in his way. Smirking Kakashi suddenly vanished and reappeared behind the other shinobi. By the time that the masked nin noticed, Kakashi had already carved his kunai on the shinobi's back. Then jumping, he managed to land a kick on the masked-nin head sending him flying across the room towards the wall.

Kakashi turned his back on the broken wall and walked towards his team mate.

"Kakashi!" Rin screamed in horror.

The silver-haired nin quickly dodged the multiple shuriken.

"You're pretty fast!" the masked nin said as he cleaned his robes from the dust.

Kakashi did not reply. Instead he launched himself through the air towards the other shinobi. The masked nin held his whip and stared ahead with a smug look on his face which only annoyed the silver-haired teenager further.

The moment Kakashi came down, the enemy shinobi gasped as he noticed something form on the silver-haired nin hand.

"KAKASHI NO!" Rin yelled as her brown eyes widened in shock.

"RAIKIRI!" Kakashi cried out as a blue-whitish light took over the badly illuminated room.

Rin cried out as an excruciating pain took over her entire body. Every step she made, it was as if she was still being tortured. She could even hear her bones cracking softly.

"Kakashi!" she cried as she watched the silver-haired nin fall down on his knees.

The silver-haired ninja on the other hand completely ignored Rin's cries as he was to busy to stare at the other man whose mask had fallen to the floor. His dark and crimson eye stared in pure shock at the familiar face.

"Hitoshi?" Kakashi asked as the other shinobi also fell down on his knees. Kakashi dropped the kunai and held on to his stomach which was bleeding due to Hitoshi cut.

Kakashi had time to dodge the whip thanks to his sharingan as he used his Raikiri, however, not dodging the hit would make his lightening blade more efficient.

"Hehehehe!" Hitoshi giggled as blood came out of his mouth, "Just what I'd expect from yellow-flash pupil," then he closed his eyes and fell on his back, lifeless.

"Kakashi-kun!" Rin cried out as she allowed herself to fall next to him, her good arm pulled his bloodied form towards her, "K-kkka-kashi-kun!"

The copy-nin groaned softly as some of her tears ended on his shoulder, "I'm fine… really,"

"Y-you baka!" said Rin as she looked straight at him, "The sharingan still takes a lot of you, and then using that s-stupid t-technique of y-yours-"

"Rin… shhh," a small smile formed underneath his mask.

"Baka…" Rin repeated as she focused more chakra on her hand, "let me see your wound,"

* * *

Kushina smiled broadly at the two dead bodies in front of her, "Aha! Take that!" she cheerfully said as she pointed her index finger at the female body.

Minato blinked stupidly as he stared at the red-haired woman who seemed to be enjoying herself, "You do realize she's dead and that she can't hear you now, right?" he asked as cleaned his kunai to the dead male body clothes.

"Yeah, so?" said Kushina as she turned to stare at the blond, "It still makes me feel great!!"

Minato rolled his eyes and stood up, "Let's go,"

Kushina nodded promptly and hurried to catch up with the blond-haired man steps. She placed herself in his right side and stared at him with a wide smile gracing her expression. He looked back at her with a curious expression, his deep blue-eyes beaming at her smile.

They both stepped inside the front gate and immediately focused on their surroundings. They came to a circular area where there seemed to be a mass of doors as they walked further inside. There were also three different paths, one to the left, one in the middle and other in the right. They were long corridors which contained many different doors.

"Well, this sucks," Kushina said as she evaluated their situation.

"I guess we just have to check all them out," Minato answered as he stared at the corridor in the middle.

"It would be faster if we just split up and then-"

"No," said Minato as he spared her a serious look, "You're not leaving my sight,"

"Really Minato, now's not the time to try and use flirting techniques of yours-"

"It's not that," Minato quickly added, "We don't know what type of enemies are they, and besides we are obviously out numbered,"

"Pfft," said Kushina as she crossed her arms around her chest. Whether displeased that he wasn't going to try to flirt with her or his lack of confidence in her abilities.

Suddenly, all her bad mood vanished as an alarm sound echoed through her ears. Minato and Kushina traded worried looks as they stared at the now opened doors, revealing more and more enemy shinobi.

"Out numbered you said?" Kushina asked as she positioned herself into a defensive posture.

"Seems like I'm always right," Minato added as he shrugged his shoulders. His back touching her back as they both eyed their enemy.

"Don't get so full of yourself," Kushina snorted and her hands came together, **"**_**Kage bunshin no jutsu!"**_

"Well… I guess that makes it even," Minato said as two of Kushina clones took one of the enemy shinobi down.

* * *

"Sakura… Sakura Haruno," Sakura said her name but Tarou didn't quite hear it as a loud bang was heard not too far from them.

"What the-" Tarou didn't have time to finish his sentence as his office door was opened without any ceremony revealing two tall shinobi.

"Someone's here!" one of the shinobi said as he stared at Tarou which features twisted in absolute anger.

Sakura bit her lip as Tarou stood up and walked towards the other two shinobi. His back turned on her. Her rosy lips suddenly curved into a sly smile as she could feel it run through her.

Her chakra.

The pink-haired girl hands turned into fists and Tarou tensed as he could feel her killing instinct.

Sakura quickly launched herself towards him, her punch ready to hit the back of his head when something burned her arm. She quickly pulled her arm back and stared at Tarou who had a satisfied smirk on his features.

"Congratulations, you _almost_… got me,"

"Hn," Sakura simply said in a cheap imitation of Sasuke's grunt and glared at the man in front of her while the other two shinobi simply stood at the door entrance, staring, and awaiting for orders.

"How disappointing," said Tarou as his eyes fell on Sakura emerald ones, "I was getting quite excited to be able to work with the Rain country… but it seems that you won't be able to make it possible for me… since you are no spy, correct?"

Sakura did not answer as she stared at the horrible man in front of her. The pink-haired girl furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered on her chances to escape. They were none. The odd old office had no windows and to make it worse, her way out was blocked by other two enemy shinobi.

Tarou smirked as he watched the pink-haired kunoichi frown. It seemed that she was not as stupid as he previously had thought. Of course, he suspected that she was not from the Rain Country. First, there weren't many kunoichi of the Rain country and with the current war happening, there was no way that the Rain country would allow themselves to send a spy all the way to fire country while they were needing every single shinobi at the battle field.

Grinning broadly, he raised an expectantly eyebrow.

"That would have been quite a punch," he said as he noticed her fiery emerald eyes on him, "I dare to say that it would have probably knocked me out if the hit had landed on me,"

_I have to fight them if I want to get out of here… my chakra is still low… dammit! _ Sakura thought as she burned holes with her furious glare on the man in front of her.

**Then you have to make sure that you do not miss. **Sakura eyes widened at the other voice inside her head. **What? Missed me haven't you? **The pink-haired girl shook her head softly. She couldn't be allowed to have any distractions if she was going to fight. **Perhaps you should play safe, you know? You have to win time and then… you strike… yes… you know exactly what I'm talking about.**

_There is no way I'll have enough chakra to do it, _Sakura thought as she considered her inner self suggestions.

"Hahahaha! You're considering to fight me?" the man asked with a disdain tone of voice. His eye grew and Sakura would be sure that his eyebrow would have risen in a mocking way, if he had one. Due to his extensive burnings, he had no single hair.

"Shut up," Sakura whispered threateningly. Her heart was beating strong against her chest.

"I beg your pardon?" Tarou smirked inwardly.

"I said shut up!" Sakura cried out as she ran towards him. A frown came to her pale features as the man blocked every hit. She had to rely on her taijutsu until she had enough chakra.

"This is all you got?!" Tarou added as a mocking laugher escaped his mouth.

Groaning and pushing herself forward, Sakura managed to land a kick on the man's stomach. She smiled and inner Sakura cheered, however, the small victory ended soon enough as Sakura green orbs widened in shock as a sharp pain took over her leg.

Tarou had his both hands around her ankle, a sick smile adorning his torn features. His hands were surrounded with chakra and Sakura felt something burn her legs. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull her leg back but the man's grip was too strong.

The burning sensation kept increasing even though there was no flames or fire.

"Hahaha! How you like that?" the man asked with a taunting look on his dark eyes, "It's a quite famous trait of my clan!"

_Shit! Shit! Shit! _Sakura cursed mentally as her whole body trembled. Her leg was becoming sweaty and she could see tiny bubbles of burnt grow on her skin. _How the hell he does that? I don't see any fire…_

**Now! Do it NOW! **Inner Sakura shouted as her arms waved in the air, her mouth hanged open in desperation.

Clenching her teeth together, Sakura forced her chakra down her leg. A satisfied look crossed her painful expression as Tarou's grip on her ankle vanished.

"What did you do?" Tarou asked in irritation.

Sakura jumped backwards in order to keep a safe distance. She regained her posture and ignored the sharp pain on her leg. Her eyes were fixed on the monster standing in front of her. She had to be careful now. It seemed that Tarou possessed a dangerous technique. He could burn things without creating a fire. Furrowing her eyebrows she glared at him. She would have to avoid to be touched by those hands of him. However, it seemed that her chakra was able to repel his technique.

Smiling slightly, she spared a cautious look at the other guards who were still standing at the door waiting for orders. Perhaps, if she was lucky, she would be able to take the three down at once.

Sakura cracked the knuckles in her fist. Her green orbs beamed dangerously as she dodged Tarou's attacks. The man's expression was a mix with anger and shock.

"You're good," Tarou said as he tried another punch.

Sakura snorted as she easily dodged it, "Anyone could dodge that," she answered as she added her fist causing the man to jump backwards in order to avoid it. The pink-haired girl bit her lower lip in annoyance as Tarou hadn't yet fell on her trap.

The pink-haired girl readied herself for one more time when suddenly Tarou waved good-bye at her.

"Hah… well enough of this," Tarou said as he stared at Sakura in amusement, "thank you for providing me enough entertainment for today. It seems that my guest has finally arrived,"

"What?" Sakura asked as the man turned his back on her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Me?" Tarou replied with a mocking tone, "To greet my guest of course,"

"But we're not done here!" she growled in anger at the man's nerve.

"Oh?" said Tarou as he looked at her, "Is there more? All you can do is dodge my attacks,"

"Bastard," Sakura cursed under her breathe as she stared at his mocking smile.

"My… my! No need to get so ang- hey! What are you-" Tarou eye's widened at Sakura's hands signs.

"_**kyushu**_** no **_**chakra!"**_

Sakura eyes narrowed and she focused all her chakra on her palm, _This is it… _she thought as she swallowed dry, _If I fail… then… I guess I die?_

**Well… unfortunately for you that is not an option! If you die, I die! Besides what about Naruto and Sasuke? We are their only hope you baka!**

Sakura nodded and ran towards the smirking Tarou.

"I don't know what you did but if you think that you-" Tarou cursed out loud as he barely dodged her kick, "Heh…"

"Hn, don't get so confident,"

Tarou's form tensed and the two watching guards came running towards him. Sakura smiled as the palm of her hand collided with the back of his neck, nearly crushing it. Her emerald eyes widened as she could feel her chakra replenishing.

"W-what… are you…-"

"Don't you move or I crush his neck," Sakura warned dangerously. Both guards immediately stopped. They stared at Tarou expectantly who slowly nodded.

"My… chakra..."

"Ah, yes. You were too busy deflecting my kick that you didn't notice that you were under an illusion," Sakura smiled brightly as her hand still held Tarou's neck as if he was a mere toy. She mentally thanked Tsunade for convincing Kurenai to help her with genjutsu, "And you must be wondering what's happening to your chakra, ne? Is simply really… I'm draining it all,"

"What?" Tarou asked as his eyes widened in absolute horror. He tried to move but the grip of Sakura fingers around his neck simply threatened his life further.

"Yep!" Sakura added cheerfully, "So… I'll just wait until you're completely out of chakra or perhaps I could kill you right now… Hmm," Sakura made a pondering face making the other two guards stare at her in fear.

"You'll never make it out of here alive," Tarou threatened, his eyes slowly closing as he felt himself become dizzy. His sight was becoming nothing more than colorful blurs.

"Heh… do you know who you're talking with?" Sakura whispered in his ear, enjoying the power in making the man shake with fear, "I'm Tsunade-Shishou apprentice,"

* * *

The bar was crowded as usual, the waiters rushed back and forth in order to keep up with the clients requests. There was a loud singer on the stage which was getting displeasing insults of some of the drunken men.

On one of the furthest tables, right at the corner of the bar next to the ladies bathroom stood a tall blonde-haired woman. All of her attention was on her empty cup. The waiter, a nice looking man winked at her as he refilled the cup with more sake and she simply missed it or if she noticed it, she didn't seem to care at all.

A dark-haired young girl sighed as she stared at the blonde-haired woman who was unusual quiet.

The blonde woman eyed the cup with new eyes and quickly emptied once again and put the cup back. "More!!" she said as pointed at the wooden cup. Her pale cheeks were already turning slightly pink.

"That's the way to chug it down!" the good-looking waiter said as he chuckled and poured down more sake.

"Shut it!" the blonde-haired woman rudely answered back. The waiter blinked a few times at her rude remark, obviously not expecting to be turned down. He then turned around and left towards another table.

The dark-haired young girl shook her head slightly as if she disapproved the blonde-haired woman manners, "I… I think it is enough for today," the young girl said in what she hoped to be a brave tone of voice. Her dark eyes lingered a mere seconds as she stared at light brown eyes filled with life.

"Nop! I'm just getting started!" the older woman answered as she smiled at the dark-haired girl, "Today we made good money! So we have to celebrate and then- Ahh.. Ahhh… Ahhchoo!"

"Tsunade-sama! Someone must be talking about you!" The dark-haired girl said excitedly.

"Of course! Shizune…" Tsunade added as she laughed, "…I'm pretty famous! I'm one of the Legendary Sennin!"

Shizune rolled her eyes and watched as the blonde-haired woman head went backwards as she let out another sneeze.

* * *

"Tsunade?" Tarou repeated, "The legendary Sennin?" The man opened his mouth to say something else but nothing ever came out as he lost consciousness.

"Well… who's next?" Sakura asked and the two guards jumped startled as she closed her hands into fists.

One of the guards quickly turned his back on her and ran out of the door while the other simply sweated and asked for mercy. Sakura slowly walked past him and ignored him. She couldn't waste any more time, she needed to find Kakashi and Rin.

She stopped at the door and looked behind towards the scared nin, "You… can you take me back to the cells?"

The nin face twisted in confusion but nodded all the same.

* * *

**A/N: First of all I want to thank every single one who has followed the story so far! –squeals in delight- Now this is my first attempt at describing fighting scenes. As you all can realize, it's not that great, but I hope you still could get the hold of it. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading so far!!**


	7. Sete

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: Naruto… isn't mine.

**Author's Note**: **AHHH! Over 100 reviews!! I love you all so much! –hugs everyone- Right! Enough with the affection display. Here it is… damdadammm 7****th**** chapter!**

* * *

Kakashi groaned as he managed to stand up. His whole body cried in pain as he held Rin in order to support her fragile body. Not only was she badly injured as her chakra was reaching its limits. The silver-haired jounin knew he had overreacted. He was still training his sharingan and his Raikiri technique still took a lot of his strengths seeing that he had only completed his technique not too long ago and he still needed time to get used to exercise it.

He looked down at the brunette medic-nin who forced a smile on her tired and swollen features. A wave of guilt washed over Kakashi as he took in the seriousness of her condition.

"_Kakashi… t-take… care… of Rin…" _Obito's straggly voice replayed over and over again in Kakashi's mind.

Rin brown eyes gazed worriedly towards Kakashi whose arms were supporting her weakened form when he barely could stand on his own. A long sigh escaped her dry lips as they finally made it to the door.

Kakashi came to an abrupt stop causing Rin's face to collide with his shoulder. The medic-nin opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when a cold feeling traveled up her spine. She slowly jerked her head and gulped. The silver-haired jounin felt her thin body tense, her knees became weak with despair and she would have fallen on the floor if his grip on her hadn't increased at the moment he noticed the three enemy shinobi.

The three shinobi seemed to have been waiting on them to walk out the door. The tallest of them, a dark-blue haired man had a long katana on his hand. He stepped forward with a smirk visible in his dark skin. The other two remained behind watching their comrade with blank expressions.

"Seems like Hitoshi was lacking skill after all," the dark-blue haired man spoke mockingly. The other two snickered and fell silence after a few seconds.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the dark-blue haired man. His grip on Rin increased again and he could now feel her erratic heart beat which only angered him further.

"Silly of me! I haven't introduced me properly!" the dark-blue haired man said as his grin widened, "The name is Ryu…" he paused as he looked expectantly at the silver-haired nin.

Kakashi said nothing as he studied the man position. Nothing indicated that he was going to attack _soon_.

Ryu'sgrin disappeared and he raised his arm, pointing his katana blade at the silver-haired ninja, "I said my name boy! It's only fair you tell me yours," his tone of voice was no more mocking but grave.

"My name does not concern you," Kakashi replied as he adjusted Rin's body against his own.

Rin let out a small yelp as Kakashi pulled her close to him. Her ribs were not fully healed. Kakashi ignored her cry of pain never taking his gaze from the three men in front of him.

"Pity," Ryu answered as he stepped forward, "I always like to know my opponent's name before I kill them,"

Rin bit her trembling lip as she stared at the dark-haired blue man who was now walking towards them, his long katana still pointing at them.

"Hurry up boss…" one of the other two men said as he looked behind his shoulder, "Someone is comi-"

A loud crashing interrupted Ryu and Kakashi's staring contest. Rin gasped as she stared at one of the walls, the dust was still evaporating but Rin could clearly see her pink-hair.

"Sorry!" a familiar voice reached Kakashi's ears. His jaw hardened as he stared at the pink-haired kunoichi that was walking through the broken wall, "I couldn't find the door to this room," Sakura added as a small smile adorned her features.

Immediately the two men stiffened and turned to face Sakura with bewildered looks stamped on their faces.

"What the hell?" one of them replied as he stepped back, obviously scared by her monstrous strength.

Ryulooked at the pink-haired girl and snorted, "Hn… seems like things are getting interesting," he said as he turned his back on the silver-haired nin and walked towards his comrades, "Who are you?" he asked as he swung his katana to his shoulder.

Sakura eyes traveled towards Kakashi and Rin while she permitted herself to sigh in relief as she noticed that they were still intact. Sakura emerald eyes shyly stared directly to his mismatched eyes. She felt her heart pulse on her throat as he glared at her, his eyes clearly screaming that he wasn't happy to see her at all.

"_I knew it… you traitor. I'll make sure I kill you too,"_

Slowly, she shook her head away as his cold words replayed in her mind. He was so different from the Kakashi-sensei she knew. She wondered when did he started to change and deep inside her, she wished that he would change soon because she completely detested the younger copy-nin version.

"Oi! I asked you a question!" Ryu's voice brought Sakura back to her present situation.

Her green orbs gazed at him, more accurately at his katana, "Hi there," she said as her eyes gazed towards the other two nin who had no weapons on them.

"It's me who you have to worry about," Ryu said as he watched the girl study his comrades. A grin graced his amused expression, "Well then, I was just telling your friends here that I like to hear my opponents names just before I give them the final blow," the pink-haired girl raised an unimpressed eyebrow and showed no visible emotions at his words. Ryu's grin disappeared at once. Normally his words would always bring some furious reactions on his victims giving him the opportunity to see through their attacks and then finish them off as quickly as possible, "So… what's your name?"

"Are you going to stand there asking my name or are you going to strike me down?" Sakura asked as her left leg skimmed forward, her both hands closed into fists, "Let me see what you can do with that sword of yours,"

Ryu narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired girl nerve. He eyed her as if she was completely stupid. She could only be stupid after all. What could she do against his katana?

"S-Sakura-chan…" Rin whispered as her brown eyes lingered on the pink-haired girl form. Sakura's face was now a complete blank mask, her emerald eyes were fixed upon her target. Rin swallowed dry as she held tightly to Kakashi's sleeve. Sakura looked completely confident of her abilities. Rin eye's then lowered to Sakura's left leg; she noticed the intensity of the burn marks, "She's injured…"

Kakashi looked down at his teammate when he felt his sleeve become heavier. Rin's gaze was glued to Sakura and Kakashi knew that Rin was worried beyond limits. It always amazed him how Rin grew attached to strangers even if she only knew them for a couple of hours. It was her greatest weakest and that is why he still thinks that her place is at the Konoha's hospital. She was not cut out to fight.

"Hn… very well. I'll dig my sword in your flesh and make sure you still live to tell me your name before your blood runs out," Ryu said as he ran towards the pink-haired girl.

Rin gasped and Kakashi found himself hypnotized to what was going to happen. The scene seemed as if it was happening in slow motion except for his heart beat which was threatening to stop anytime soon. A sick feeling took over his stomach. His eyes widened at the unexpected will to move forward to stop the dark-blue haired shinobi.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Rin screamed with all her strengths left as Ryu swung his sword towards the pink-haired girl who didn't seem about to dodge his attack.

Kakashi eyes widened and he felt a pang in his heart as the katana cut through the air directly at Sakura's figure. Rin's scream only made the sick feeling increase.

Then, multiple gasps of surprise were heard through the room.

"H-how…" Ryu eyed the pink-haired girl in absolute shock.

Kakashi blinked a few times as he looked at Sakura's gloved hand. She had stopped the sword with her hands. Not only she stopped the sword but also broke the tip of the blade with pure strength.

"How did you do that?" Ryu questioned as he jumped back, his eyes rested on the pink-haired kunoichi.

"I've eaten a lot of spinach," Sakura retorted smiling.

Ryu groaned angrily as he threw his useless katana to the floor. One of his men stared at him as if waiting for orders.

Sakura stepped forward and stared at Ryu. She knew he was livid and she could use his rage to win. However, her chakra hadn't fully refilled and she knew that she didn't have a lot left.

"Cocky… aren't you?" Ryu straightened himself up and grinned. He would have to play carefully from now on. The pink-haired girl merely stared at him.

Sakura tried to calm down her inconsistent heart beat. She did not know why but the man's smile sent jolt of frightening feelings through her whole body.

"Sakura-chan!" Rin yelled as one of Ryu's men ran towards Sakura.

Sakura jerked her head towards her left and her lips parted as the man disappeared and reappeared again right in front of her. There was no time to dodge. Nothing could have prepared her for that man's speed.

The pink-haired girl gasped as the man kicked her stomach sending her flying a few feet away. She cursed under her breath as she pushed her shaky body up. She had been careless! She focused only on the blue-dark haired man forgetting the others completely.

"Dammit…" Sakura whispered as she coughed blood.

Kakashi tensed as he slowly glanced to his right. The other man was running towards them. Rin gasped as she noticed it too. Her attention was divided between Sakura and the running man who was ready to attack them.

Rin gasped as Kakashi held tightly on her. Both of them eyed the running man impotently as neither of them had any strengths left. Kakashi barely could hold Rin as his strengths were completely drained by the use of his Sharingan and Raikiri. Rin closed her eyes tightly as she expected the blow to come but it never did.

Instead, the whole room started to tremble. Parts of the roof started to give in. Rin opened her eyes and watched as Ryu and his other two men fell on the floor. The man who tried to attack them was smashed by a part of the roof and died instantly.

Kakashi pushed Rin away making her fall on the floor with a loud cry as he jumped backwards. Part of the roof fell down and it would have fallen on them if they didn't budge.

Sakura felt the knuckles on her fist crack and she closed her eyes in pain.

"Shit," she mumbled as she knew that she had no chakra left.

Kakashi's head jerked towards Sakura who was crouching on the floor. She had hit the floor like she had done before, but this time with an incredible strength. He couldn't help but to think as he slowly moved back to Rin that she reminded him of someone.

Sakura heart almost stopped as she noticed the dark-blue haired man fidget.

"Kakashi!" The silver-haired jounin helped Rin to stand up when Sakura's voice erupted through the room. He turned around to stare at her and waited for her to carry on, "You and Rin go ahead," she said softly as she stood up.

Rin shook her head, "No!" she whispered as she stared at Kakashi whose face was seriously considering the pink-haired girl words.

The silver-haired nin jaw hardened as he watched Ryu standing up. The man seemed half shaken by the impact but he didn't look half as bad as Sakura did. As much he wanted to let her there to her own luck, something odd told him that he mustn't.

"Well… Well," Ryu said as he tried to balance himself, "That was certainly interesting!" a cold laugher escaped the man's bloodied lips as he stared at the trembling pink-haired girl.

Sakura ignored the man's laugher and glanced at Kakashi who seemed reluctantly in leaving her. She glared at him, "What are you waiting for you idiot! Get out! Rin needs medical assistance!"

Kakashi groaned as he knew she was right. Rin did require medic attention at once. Quickly he picked Rin up, carrying her in his arms. Rin quickly snaked her arms around his neck and buried her head on his chest as her ribs pain decided to pay one more visit.

"Don't get yourself killed," said Kakashi as he started to walk away.

Sakura looked up at him with evident surprise in her emerald eyes. She then nodded and Kakashi stopped to stare at her, "Don't get me wrong… is just that Rin wouldn't want something bad to happen to you," he finished as a slight smirk formed underneath his mask.

Sakura let out a shaky laugh, "Jeez… and here I was thinking that you were actually human,"

"Really… just don't die," Kakashi added surprised by the seriousness in his voice. Then he nodded shortly and stepped away.

Sakura didn't have enough time to think or watch them disappear as something hit her side. A loud cry escaped her lips as she rolled back. Her green eyes widened as she watched Ryu crouch next to her.

"That was so nice!" he said with feigned excitement, "You think that after I'm done with you, I won't go after them?"

Sakura glared at the grinning man and pressed her lips together. Ryu laughed at her and closed his hands around her hair pulling her face close to his, "Such pity… a pretty thing like you…" then he stuck his tongue out and licked her closed lips.

"Fuck you," Sakura hissed and spat right on his face.

"Bitch!" Ryu exclaimed as he slapped her hard across the face and let go of her hair. He stood up and cleaned his face with his sleeve.

Sakura took the opportunity to kick his both legs, tripping him. Ryu fell down on the floor with a loud thump. Immediately she hurried and crawled towards him, she straddled him and punched him on the face. Ryu eyes widened as she kept punching him over and over again.

"Gah.. I.. st-stop…"

But she couldn't. She couldn't stop.

It was horrible, the empty sensation in her stomach. It was horrible… the feeling of weakness that took place in her heart. She couldn't allow herself to be weak.

Sakura raised her fist again and landed a hit on Ryu's face. His nose started to bleed.

No… she needed to save them. And if she couldn't defeat this single man, how on earth she would be able to stop the others? How would she be able to stop Orochimaru? How would she be able to stop Akatsuki from rising?

Her heart beat was so loud, she could hear it go 'thump thump' in her ears. She could feel her pulse on her throat. Her gloves were soaking wet with his blood. A loud cry escaped her lips as she landed one more punch, droplets of blood landed on her pale features.

"It's enough," a strong hand held her arm.

She recognized the soft smooth voice and immediately relaxed. She bent her head and shoulders down, her pink-hair hiding her tired and wounded features.

Sakura emerald eyes widened at Ryu's bloodied face. Tears fell down her face as she noticed that he wasn't breathing anymore. Something told her that she should be happy that he was no longer alive, but then why her heart felt this heavy? It suddenly became hard for Sakura to breath. She panicked as the air seemed to be vanishing.

"Sakura calm down,"

"Minato… Minato step aside,"

Sakura only noticed now the red-haired woman who kneeled on the floor next to her. The pink-haired girl tried to breathe in but the air didn't seem enough. Her chest ached and tears still fell freely down her face blurring her vision.

Suddenly something hard hit her across the face. Sakura sobs faltered and she stared at the red-haired woman in shock before she fell unconscious.

"I didn't hit her that hard!" Kushina said as she stood up alarmed. Minato merely shook his head as he gently picked Sakura up.

"She's in shock," he said as he stepped forward with a curious Kushina next to him.

* * *

"Are you aware of what you are saying?" Minato questioned as he covered his face with his hands. He was confused and tired beyond limits.

It had been three long days since he returned to Konoha with the pink-haired girl in his arms. He had hurried to the hospital where all of her injuries were treated immediately. All but one, her heart. The pink-haired girl was still in the hospital and didn't want to see anyone. She ate only the essential, leaving more than half of the food on the plate. She had been lying on the hospital bed for three days, simply gazing through the window. Her emerald eyes seemed empty and lifeless.

Not only he did not know how to deal with Sakura, but he also had to deal with the shocking and sad news of Hitoshi's betrayal. Not only that, but he also had to endure with the consequences of leaving Jiraiya in charge.

Apparently, the Toad Sage had organized a beauty contest which the first prize consisted in a date with the Hokage.

Kakashi uncovered eye gazed at Rin who seemed oddly quiet, "We both saw it…"

Rin lowered her eyes to the floor. She couldn't help to feel guilty as she and Kakashi stood in the middle of Yondaime's office. Something inside her kept nudging her as to stay quiet about what they witnessed that day.

Minato sighed and lowered his hands. His deep blue eyes beamed as stared at his students. Kakashi arched an eyebrow as he recognized that look on his sensei face.

"Now that you mention it…" Minato quickly stood up causing the chair to fall down. He walked towards his students ignoring the chair, "the day… that first day when she was found…"

"_Are you deaf! I. HAD. IT. WITH. ME. BECAUSE. THAT. HEADBAND. BELONGS. TO. ME… where is Tsunade-Shishou? I demand to see her,"_

"_Tsunade? What are you on about? And who the hell are you to demand such thing?"_

"_I think that's enough, Hitoshi,"_

Rin brown eyes stared at her sensei expectantly, "What is it sensei?"

"The day she was found… she demanded to see Tsunade," Minato said as he walked past his students and opened the door. He paused and stared at them, "you both keep an eye on Sakura," Kakashi and Rin nodded, "I go find Jiraiya,"

Minato stepped outside his office and hurried through the wide corridors. He had a small idea where Jiraiya could be. It was either the ramen shop or the hot springs. He decided to check the hot springs first.

* * *

She was tired… so tired. Sakura knew she was falling down to a black hole where no one could ever reach her ever again. She had been falling down for a long time now. Ever since _he_ had left her on that bench and took her heart with him. She just wished she had never given it to him in the first place.

What did she get in return? Nothing… that's right… absolutely nothing. She had tried to save them all but who was she kidding? How could she do anything to save them when she needed to be saved as well?

All she ever did was sacrifice herself. She trained herself in order to become stronger, in order to bring Sasuke back, to make her and Naruto feel completed again. Now… she wondered if Sasuke returned… would she really feel completed again? Or would the feeling of loneness remain forever a broken hole carved in her heart?

When she realized she had been sent back in time, a bright light illuminated her. She would be able to save everyone. That was what she thought. But then… again… after what happened… she wasn't so sure anymore. Was she doomed to be alone forever? It was probably her punishment… her punishment for being weak.

* * *

Rin knocked at the door and waited for a reply. Kakashi rolled his eyes when they received no answer. Rin sighed and knocked once again.

"S-Sakura-chan?" Rin voice was somewhat hesitant.

"Here," Kakashi gently pushed Rin out of the way and pushed the door open. He was the first to step inside. His eye quickly gazed towards the bed where Sakura was lying. Her head was looking at the opposite side, her eyes fixed on the window.

Rin slowly walked towards the pink-haired girl bed with a now hesitant Kakashi behind her.

He didn't know why, but he kind of preferred the yelling Sakura to this quiet and empty one.

"Sakura-chan… how are you feeling?" Rin asked softly as she positioned herself by Sakura's side.

Sakura sighed softly and slowly turned her head towards Rin, "Fine," she simply answered. Her voice was deprived of any emotions.

"I'm glad…" Rin replied as she softly smiled at the pink-haired girl.

"When do you intend to leave the hospital?" Kakashi asked as he walked towards the window, "You know… there's plenty more to look at. Aren't you tired to look at the same view?"

Sakura green eyes gazed at the silver-haired boy who had placed himself in front of the window, blocking all the sun entrance.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked surprising both Rin and Kakashi with her shaky voice.

"Sakura-chan…" Rin whispered as tears formed on the pink-haired girl eyes.

"I… please…" Sakura carried on as she tried her best to suppress her tears, "I just want to be alone… is that much to ask for?"

"I'm sorry," Sakura stared quizzically at her future sensei. "I'm sorry… but when you're one of us… there is no way for you to be alone ever again,"

Kakashi turned his head to stare at Sakura. A smile was clearly visible underneath his mask which made all Sakura's efforts not to cry become useless.

A loud sob escaped her lips as tears fell down her pale features.


	8. Oito

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: You know the drill… Naruto is not mine… blabla… this fic is only for pure entertainment.

**Author's Note**: Meh... I re-wrote this chapter three times because it didn't completely satisfy me! And then my bad luck struck me as suddenly the power went off and half of the chapter was gone!! Thanks to everyone for reviewing!! Getting reviews complimenting my story multiplies my will to write, b/c there isn't a writer in the world who hates praise or even constructive criticism! Oh... right... on with the chapter!_  
_

* * *

Jiraiya sat on the red cushioned chair for the ninth time. His dark eyes gazed at his ex-student who kept walking back and forth around the room; every now and then Minato would stop and gaze back at him, expectantly.

The white-haired Sannin rose from his seat one more time. Minato stopped and faced Jiraiya waiting for him to speak.

"You say that she crashed a whole room with a single punch? And that she also possesses healing skills?" Jiraiya asked the same question he had been asking for the past hour.

Minato sighed in exasperation, "Hai… and don't forget that she mentioned Tsunade before,"

"She demanded to see Tsunade," Jiraiya mumbled, "and why haven't you confronted the girl about it?" Jiraiya asked as a visible frown took form on the blond-haired man's expression.

"She's hiding something from us," Minato said as he walked towards his desk.

Jiraiya raised an amused eyebrow at his ex-student, "One more reason to confront the girl,"

Minato shook his head as he sighed, "She won't tell us what it is no matter what. She's an awful liar but to balance things over, she seems pretty good at keeping her lips shut,"

"I see… and now you want me to find Tsunade," said Jiraiya as he sat back on Minato's chair, "That won't be easy. Especially after I tell her the reason why…" Jiraiya paused with a sly smirk on his features, "We both know that she won't come just to talk with the girl,"

The Yondaime nodded in agreement. However, his blue eyes told the Toad Sage that his ex-student had something in mind.

"That's why we won't tell her the real reason," Minato said as he grinned at the white-haired man who was now completely devoted to what Minato was going to say next, "We're going to organize a poker tournament… with lot's of free sake,"

Jiraiya blinked at the blond-haired man, "What?" he asked after a few shocking seconds, "are you serious?! You cancelled the beauty contest but you're willing to organize a poker one? I'll let you know that this beauty contest was not under any circumstances for mere fun! I was going to take it as an opportunity to do some research for my next book!"

Minato sighed as his right hand hit his forehead, "There isn't really any Poker tournament," the blond said as he looked down at the open-mouthed Jiraiya.

"Oh," Jiraiya replied and chuckled embarrassedly, "Of course! I knew that… seriously boy… who do you take me for? I'm the legendary nin! I'm your mentor and everything you know was taught by me!"

Minato raised an amused eyebrow at the white-haired man, "So does it mean you'll do it?"

Jiraiya shut his lips and adopted a serious stance, "I want to have a look at this girl first,"

"What do you mean?" Minato pressed.

"I want to see her with my own eyes," Jiraiya replied with a smug smile on his face.

The Hokage took a deep breath through his nose, "Fine," he muttered after a minute.

Jiraiya smiled and placed himself by the blond-haired man side, his arm around Minato's shoulder, "Now… don't forget your promise!" he added cheerfully which made Minato cringe.

"M-my promise?" Minato asked.

"Yeah!" Jiraiya looked up to his ex-student who happened to be taller, "hey… you're taller than me," Jiraiya said as he started to compare their heights.

Minato looked down at the older man, "What promise?"

"Oh… right… you said you'd treat me for some Ramen," Jiraiya laughed at Minato while he wrenched the door open.

Minato looked at the older man in sheer disbelief, and then sighing he picked up his blue coat and walked behind Jiraiya, "You'll never grow up, will you?"

Jiraiya chuckled softly and turn his head to look behind his shoulder, "It was you who grew up too fast, ne?"

The Yondaime rolled his eyes as he followed his old mentor. It has always been like this, even when he was younger, Minato was always the grown up. Jiraiya was always cheerful and pulling pranks at his own students. At first, Minato thought it was rather childish of a shinobi to act like that; he also had been somewhat reluctantly in having the white-haired man as sensei in the first place.

A soft smile graced Minato's features as he recalled the day; Jiraiya gave them their very first mission. At first he had been shocked beyond limits as Jiraiya gave them the thumbs up and pushed them towards the hot springs. Then, the instructions of the mission made Minato wonder if the white-haired man possessed the slightest hint of sanity.

"_Alright kiddies!" a cheerful Jiraiya offered them his famous crooked smile as they stopped in front of the hot springs, "This first mission will decide if you have what it takes to become a shinobi!" _

_The three genin blinked stupidly as Jiraiya pointed at the hot springs, "Listen up! The mission is simple and clear…" the Toad Sage hands reached for his holster and handed three photographic cameras to the genins. Minato stared in pure disbelief at his camera, and then he narrowed his blue eyes and glared back and forth between Jiraiya and his two excited team mates, "all you have to do is to get in there and take as many pictures as possible, ready? Set! Go!" _

_The other two hurried through the hot spring doors while Minato stayed behind still glaring at the older man, "This is not ethical," _

_Jiraiya raised an amused eyebrow, "And how would a ten year old brat knows what's ethical and what's not?"_

"_Anyone would know the difference between what's ethical and what's not. I for example, only need to take a good look at you to know that all you do is not ethical,"_

_Jiraiya jaw dropped at the blond-haired boy remark. Minato rolled his eyes while he turned his back on the white-haired man. He too entered the hot springs with a resigned sigh._

_As he soon as he stepped inside the air was taken by loud screams. His blue-eyes widened at the sight of his two team-mates scared expressions._

"_Run Minato!" they both yelled as they were chased by dozens of angry women._

"Hey are you even listening to me?" Jiraiya asked as he waved his both hands in front of Minato's face.

"Huh? What?" Minato replied as he snapped back to reality.

"The man's waiting for your order," said Jiraiya as he pointed at the waiter.

Minato smiled, "Sorry… I'd like what he's having,"

"Right away, Hokage-sama," the waiter bowed and walked away.

"Now now… what were you daydreaming about? Don't tell me you're still trying to get that red-haired woman attention… because if you ask me, she's not interested at all… and besides I think I saw her wink at me the other day…"

Minato shook his head slightly with a genuine smile on his features as Jiraiya carried on jabbering through the night.

* * *

The sun was still saying good-bye as it moved slowly down towards the horizon. The streets of Konoha were oddly quiet and there weren't many citizens outside. Most of them were already inside preparing dinner, others were sill on their way home. Three figures were doing the last. They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying only their company.

Sakura eyed the strange and yet familiar houses as she walked down the street. Not many things seemed to change in the future. Some of the houses were incredibly old and needed to be restored, some of them didn't seem to exist in the future or she simply had no memory of them. There were also many people that she did not recognize. Sakura related that fact with the nine-tailed fox. She knew that the nine-tailed fox had taken a lot of lives.

A frown came to her pale features as all her thoughts led to a blond-haired man with deep blue-eyes. The Yondaime… he was going to die. Sakura lips parted as her green eyes shone with sadness. The nine-tailed fox… it was going to be the start of everything. The Yondaime would sacrifice his life and then he would also seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto. That could not happen. She didn't want her friend to suffer in the future. Just the single thought of having the villagers look down on Naruto caused goosebumps on her skin. She would have to stop it at all costs. But how?

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura shook her head as if throwing all of her thoughts away. Her emerald eyes stopped on the two figures ahead.

Rin was bracing herself; her brown eyes staring warmly back at Sakura. The corner of her lips lifted up slightly in a shy smile.

Kakashi had his hands in his pockets; a bored and lazy expression could easily be read in his uncovered eye.

"Haha…" Sakura chuckled as she hurried towards them, "I spaced out," she said what they already knew.

"Well, this is where I leave you," Kakashi said as he looked to the left.

Sakura eyed the big house with interest. It was a white house with a little garden. It appeared to have two floors. Sakura smiled softly. Kakashi-sensei lived in a second-floor apartment but the Kakashi from this time lived in a big house. She wondered what other things about the silver-haired nin she would learn.

"Good-night," said Rin with a warm smile, "We'll see you tomorrow,"

Kakashi merely nodded as he opened the gate that led to his garden.

"Bye!" said Sakura as she watched the copy-nin disappear behind his door, "Ano… does he live all by himself?" Sakura asked. She bit her lip as she stared at the brown-haired girl.

Rin looked at Sakura and nodded, "H-hai… he doesn't have any family left,"

"Oh…" said Sakura as she looked behind back to his house, "Kakashi-sensei…" she whispered softly. She never once stopped to think about her sensei past.

"NEE-SAN!" a loud voice interrupted Sakura's thoughts as two cheerful twins ran towards them. Sakura eyed Rin as she smiled down at her brothers.

A wave of warmth and at the same time jealousy hit Sakura. The pink-haired girl was quite surprised at this new feeling. Shaking her head she quickly shook the negative thoughts away as she forced a smile on her face.

The twins turned to look at her, both eyeing her suspiciously.

"She's still staying with us?" Kenji asked as he pointed a finger at Sakura.

Rin merely laughed, "Hai, she has nowhere else to stay. So you better treat her nice. She's our guest,"

The other twin narrowed his eyes, "Our guest huh?" he questioned as he walked up to her. His deep brown eyes studied every inch of Sakura and then he placed himself next to her and held on to her arm, "Do you know how to cook?"

Sakura arched an eyebrow and hesitantly nodded, "Hai."

"You know how to make Ramen?" Kenjiro asks in delight, his brown eyes now beaming at Sakura.

Again, the pink-haired girl nodded.

"ALRIGHT!" Kenjiro punched the air in pure happiness.

Both Sakura and Rin started to laugh. Kenjiro blushed slightly while Kenji pouted.

The four of them walked down the street. Rin started to tell her little brothers her latest adventure. Both of them, often looked towards the quiet pink-haired girl in pure disbelief. Sakura heard Kenji comment that there was no way that a girl could be that strong. Kenjiro quickly nodded and backed up his brother.

A smile graced Sakura's rosy lips as she stared at the both of them. It turned quite obvious that Kenji was the grumpy and difficult brother; he seemed also very protective of his sister. On the other hand, Kenjiro looked more soft, more relaxed and cheerful. Sakura also concluded that he was the most talkative, since he'd turn to her to ask a few questions every now and then. She also realized that Kenjiro and Kenji seemed very dependent on each other.

"Sakura-san," Kenjiro asked with a shy smile, "Will… will you cook us some Ramen tomorrow?" he asked as he swung his right foot nervously.

Sakura chuckled and placed a hand on his head and then messed his long hair, "Only if you don't try to sneak any more bugs on me,"

Kenjiro swallowed dry and nodded, "It's a deal!" he quickly offered her one wide grin. Sakura eyes widened in surprise as at that very moment, she saw Naruto's face… the same wide grin. The pink-haired kunoichi watched him turn around after his brother with a heavy heart. She couldn't actually believe it… she was definitely getting home-sick.

"Naruto…" she whispered as she stepped inside her new temporarily home.

"Sakura-chan!" Rin smiled at the pink-haired girl not noticing her sulking expression "I… you can have a bath if you want," Immediately, Sakura's face gained a new light at the mention of a bath, "You can… use some of my clothes after and then tomorrow we… we can go shopping,"

"Thank you!" Sakura exclaimed happily. The idea of having a hot bath sounded really appealing.

Rin showed Sakura the bathroom and helped her to prepare the bath. Then she told Sakura that she was going to start to make them some dinner. Sakura thanked the brunette-haired girl once more. Rin merely smiled as she left Sakura by herself.

As soon as she stepped inside the hot bath, Sakura closed her eyes and sighed as the hot water greeted her skin. It felt incredible good to be under water after a few days. Sure, they had cleaned her wounds at the hospital but the truth was that she hadn't taken a proper bath yet.

After a few minutes, Sakura allowed herself to close her eyes; the hot water was making her slightly sleepy. However, her brain was still functioning.

The pink-haired kunoichi suddenly realized that she never got to analyze her situation properly. At first she had thought that she was dreaming. That obviously such thing as going back in time was not possible and obviously no one ever heard of such thing. When Sakura first became conscious that she was not dreaming, she entered in a small state of shock and denial.

But now… now she was definitely sure that she was indeed back in time and the question was how? Was it the Kyuubi's chakra result?

Then suddenly, as if a lightening had hit her, she opened her eyes at once. Her heart started beating faster and faster. Her eyes widened as a sudden realization dawned upon her.

Minato… Yondaime… that day… that first day when she was at the hospital...

"_N-Naruto!" _

"_I'm sorry; I think you've mistaken me with someone else. Let me introduce myself, my name is Minato Namikaze,"_

"Naruto… Oh Kami… it can't be… can it?" she asked herself as she tried to calm down her own heart beat.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's head jerked towards the wooden door.

"Yeah?"

"Dinner's ready!" Rin's gentle voice called out from behind the door.

"Alright, I'll be right out in a minute," said Sakura as she stood up and left the bathtub feeling completely refreshed and at the same time highly disturbed by her thoughts.

A few moments later Sakura made her way towards the kitchen and blushed furiously as her stomach complained loudly. The scent of the food was marvelous. Rin stared at the pink-haired kunoichi and laughed.

"Hungry huh?" Rin questioned as she placed the cups on the table.

"Here let me help you," Sakura said as she grabbed the food bowl and placed it on the center of the table.

"Boys!!" Rin called out as she took one of the seats. Sakura did the same.

"No way! I'm telling you that I did it myself!"

"There is no way that you could of done it on your own, you baka!"

"Who you're calling baka!?"

"You!"

Rin forced a small smile as she and Sakura sat in the kitchen under a comfortable silence while they listened to the twins' argument. Then a loud noise was heard in the hallway and Sakura assumed that they were now both wrestling.

Sakura and Rin were sitting in the kitchen under a comfortable silence while listening to the twins wrestling around in the hallway. They continue eating with their eyes closed, shaking their heads at how much they really are alike. The noise suddenly died down and it became completely silent.

Rin and Sakura looked up at each other as the silence seemed to continue on forever. After a while Rin turned and looked towards the door. "It's too quiet..."

"Do you think they killed each other?" Sakura asked as she grabbed her cup.

Wham!

There was a momentary pause that gave Rin and Sakura a quick moment to glance at each other then turn back towards the door. Shuffling and wrestling noises then commenced from the hallway. Rin and Sakura turned back towards each other again and shook their heads.

"Nope, everything's fine..." said Rin while shoving another bite of food into her mouth.

* * *

"That cloud over there, reminds me of a shark," said Rin as she shielded her eyes from the glaring sun.

"That's a Lobster, Rin," Sakura said in a matter of fact tone.

"No, it's definitely a shark," Rin stubbornly added.

"Lobster!"

Both girls have now been waiting for almost an hour for a certain silver-haired jounin and for a certain Hokage to appear. They were lying on the grass, looking at the clouds and trying to figure out what the clouds resembled to.

"Seriously, Salura-chan…" Rin narrowed her eyes as she directed her gaze towards the massive cloud, "It is a shark! There is no way that a lobster can be that big!"

Sakura snorted, "The size doesn't matter! It resembles a lobster the most,"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"If I may interrupt… I think that it looks like a spider,"

Sakura and Rin immediately sat on the grass and turned around. Sakura eyes widened as her eyes met deep dark ones. Her breath was caught on her throat as if she forgot how to breathe.

"K-Kyo…kun," Sakura whispered as she finally released her breathe.

"Sakura-san, it is nice to see you again," Kyo's tone was polite and soft. Sakura nodded and smiled.

"It's nice to see you too," she said as she and Rin stood up. Sakura noticed that Kyo gave a quick glance towards the brunette girl but said nothing to acknowledge her, "Er… this is my team-mate, Rin… Rin this is-"

"I know who she is," Kyo interrupted. His dark orbs only focusing on Sakura.

Sakura glanced sideways at Rin who was staring down to the floor, her features seemed to have lost it's colour and her brown hair was hanging down covering most of her face.

"Oh…" Sakura said not really knowing what to think of Kyo's attitude.

"I heard that you were out on a mission," It was not a question but a statement. Kyo's eyes burned into her green ones, he raised an eyebrow as the pink-haired girl looked away shyly.

"Hai… it… was a failure," said Sakura as she tried to calm down her own heart beat.

It made her uncomfortable to look at such familiar eyes. It reminded her too much of Sasuke's eyes.

"On the contrary… I heard that you saved the day, ne?" Kyo offered her a gentle smile.

Sakura chuckled nervously and then noticed that Rin was still avoiding participating on the conversation.

"Kyo," another voice sounded from behind Sakura, causing the hair of the back of her neck stand up. She recognized it at once. It was Kakashi's voice and it was not his usual cheerful lazy voice, but his dangerous and serious voice.

"Ah… Hatake," Kyo greeted back, his soft features gave in to a frown, "You're here to train?"

"I believe that's none of your business," Kakashi answered as he placed himself next to Rin.

Sakura could feel the tension in the air. It was as if a dark cloud had descended upon them and it was ready to rain down on them.

"Eh… well… we should go, ne?" Sakura said with a fake cheerful tone of voice that no one missed.

"Very well," Kyo said as he looked back at the pink-haired girl, "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again,"

Sakura blinked at the Uchiha who had already turned his back on her, "Huh?" She tried to make sense of the Uchiha's words but nothing reasonable came to her mind.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked and Sakura turned to look at him. He had his arm around Rin's shoulder who still was gazing at the ground.

"H-hai," said Rin as she raised her head and met the silver-haired jounin eye, "Fine!" she added with a sweet smile.

Kakashi turned his head towards the pink-haired girl, "And how do you know him?"

Sakura opened her mouth to answer but again a new voice joined in, "I believe I introduced them myself,"

The three of them turned their heads to the right where a smiling blond-haired man stood leaning against a tree.

"Minato-sensei!" Rin exclaimed as she ran towards him.

Sakura couldn't think anymore. Her head was filled with so many things that she did not yet understand. Her emerald eyes traveled towards the copy-nin. Sakura face flooded with colour as she met his eye. Kakashi quickly looked away and he too started to walk towards Minato. Only a few seconds later; after Sakura tried to understand why on earth she blushed when she met Kakashi's gaze, she finally joined them.

The pink-haired girl bit her lip nervously when she approached the three of them only to find them looking back at her with expectantly faces.

"W-what?" Sakura asked not really liking the way they were looking back at her.

"Well… your part of the team now," said Minato, "and as part of the team, we have to know what your abilities are. I want you to tell us what your strengths and weaknesses are,"

Sakura stared at him for a few seconds then she nodded hesitantly. Her eyes lowered towards Rin and Kakashi who were both sitting on the grass staring at her, their full attention was completely devoted to her.

"Erm… well I'll start with my strengths," Minato nodded and gave her an encouragement smile, "I'm a quick learner and I…" Sakura bit her lip and her eyes stopped on Kakashi who had a blank expression as he looked towards her. What was she going to say? They knew… they obviously knew of her strength, they saw her half destroy a room with a single punch and Minato-sensei probably knew this by now as well. Was he suspicious? Did he even know Tsunade?

**He'll know if you lie…**her inner self chose to cut through Sakura thoughts.

"I'm a medic-nin and my chakra control is one hundred percent perfect, lately I have been practicing and developing genjutsu," Sakura said and waited for any questions but none of them opened their mouths to say a word, then taking a deep breathe of air she carried on, "My weaknesses… I need to put more effort in taijutsu because…" a blush took over her features, "my stamina isn't much of a thing,"

"Then we have to change that," Minato said as he smiled at her, "From now on you will spar whether with Kakashi or Rin. I will also want you to accompany Rin to the hospital whenever you are not training or when there is an emergency,"

Sakura stared at Minato and then at Rin, her lips parted, evidently confused.

"Ano, Sakura-chan! I'm a medic-nin as well!"

The rest of the day went rather fast. After their short reunion, the Yondaime told them that he had some issues to take care of and told Sakura that she would train her taijutsu without using her monstrous strength. Sakura inner self then barged in and told her that she did the right thing to tell him the truth.

Kakashi then told Rin and Sakura that he too needed to take care of some things and disappeared. Sakura wondered what was so urgent that he needed to take care of. Rin on the other hand simply smiled and dragged Sakura to some shopping session.

At the end of the day, as Sakura let herself fall down on her bed she couldn't help but to feel that she was growing attached to Rin.

* * *

It was a routine now. His abrupt awakenings in the middle of the night, his body consumed in sweat, his heavy breathing, it was something he had grown used to.

Hatake Kakashi sat on his bed, his long hands covered his face and his toes touched the cold floor. The dreams were now much more intense and despite his sane side that kept telling him that it was nothing, he knew that something was coming his way. He just couldn't point his finger on it.

Slowly he glanced towards the alarm clock. It was still 4 o'clock. The sun wasn't even up yet. The silver-haired nin sighed in exasperation as he stood up and made his way to his kitchen. Maybe some tea would help.

He finished his cup of tea and slammed the cup hard against the table. The porcelain broke into tiny pieces. Dammit! Why couldn't he forget? Just for one damn day, just for one day…

Kakashi didn't bother to clean up. He merely stood up and grabbed a jacket and then left his house.

The streets of Konoha were awfully quiet, but then again that was to be expected since it was still early and normal people were still sleeping. The copy ninja didn't even bother to look at where he was going; he knew the way now by heart, he could even walk there with his eyes closed.

Minutes later he was standing right in front of the memorial stone. He knew every single name carved in it, though he was only there for a very special one. Kakashi sighed quietly as he placed his hand on the memorial stone for support. He then stared at the name.

_Obito Uchiha._

The silver-haired nin closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the silent that the night provided. It was rather relaxing to be able to be outside, with the gentle breeze caressing his features, no noise, nothing to disturb that moment.

"I'm sorry…" said Kakashi as he opened his eye to stare at the memorial stone, "I'm so sorry…"

He had failed him. Not only he had failed to save him… he had almost failed to keep his promise. Rin could have died that day. Images of a badly injured Rin assaulted his mind and a pang of guilt filled his heart. He was still weak… he couldn't yet control his sharingan to the fullest.

He didn't know for how long he stood there just staring at the memorial stone. He just stood there remembering.

Kakashi could see clearly the once happy and careless boy… he could see the wide grins that the Uchiha would offer him only to get a scowl in return. Obito's ideas that only got them in trouble… Obito's silly attempts to get Rin's attention… the pathetic excuses for Obito's lateness…

"_Did I just make it in time?" Obito asked, panting for air._

"_Nope, because you're late! Obito!" Kakashi replied obviously annoyed, "You idiot! What time did you think we were meeting? If you're a fully-fledged ninja, you should naturally follow the rules and regulations strictly!"_

"_NO! On the way, I had to show the way to an old woman carrying luggage… plus, there was something in my eye…" Obito tried to explain but Kakashi simply kept glaring furiously._

"_WHAT? That's a lie!!" _

His fingers caressed the Uchiha's carved name and then he stepped back, his gaze never leaving the memorial stone, "I… I miss you…" said Kakashi; his voice was lower and softer than usual. He would only speak this way to Obito's grave. Kakashi liked to think that Obito was there… listening to him, "besides there are many things happening… I thought you would like to know," Kakashi paused as the pink-haired girl picture came to his mind, "we have a new team mate,"

Kakashi sighed softly, "At first… I thought she was like the others you know… weaklings that didn't deserve your place. Did I tell you that she's the only one who made it from all the others who tried to take your place? That's right…" the silver-haired nin scratched his hair as a smile formed underneath his mask, "At first she was really annoying… pretty much like you… haha! Anyway, Rin took this immediately weird liking for the new girl… oh yeah, her name is Sakura… she's a weird one," Kakashi paused to breath in, "She's still a closed book you know… we still don't know much about her past… but I have a good feeling about her,"

Kakashi closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, "You should see her… she has this ridiculous pink-hair and she is a fiery one too! She… well she pretty much saved mine's and Rin's lives… I was in no conditions to fight and Rin… yeah…"

The copy-nin opened his eyes and gazed back at the memorial stone, "I'm sure you would get along with her,"

A few minutes passed by and Kakashi simply remained in absolute silence as he stared at the memorial stone. His soft smile faded away. Kakashi always felt relaxed after letting everything go with Obito's. Even though the Uchiha could not reply to him… something inside him was sure that his old team mate was listening to every word he said.

* * *

She didn't know for how long she had been staring at the ceiling. Sakura knew it was pretty late; the whole house was immersed in a comfortable silence. Yet, the comfortable silence was something that the pink-haired kunoichi did not welcome at all. The silence scared her. It was as if two large hands were pressing her throat, stealing all the air from her. It made her mind drift away to things that she did not want to see or even think about.

Her mind kept going back to what happened in the morning, when she and Rin encountered Kyo. He was an Uchiha… she had seen him before with Iruka-sensei. She was sure that she had looked like a perfect idiot as she stared at him like she was staring at a ghost. The feeling of sorrow that had taken over her as she stared at Kyo was beyond scary… because she finally realized that she had something to start with.

She would have to get closer to Kyo and work her way until she could finally approach Itachi.

Sakura cringed at her own thoughts. Just the mere thought that she would have to try and save Itachi from murdering his family… it scared her and almost made her angry and disgusted with herself. Disgusted because Itachi was still a child and she felt resentful at everything he did.

It was Itachi's fault that Sasuke was so obsessed with revenge. It was _Itachi's_ fault. He was the cause that broke Sasuke beyond any hope to repair the boy's heart. However, she had to remind herself that he still didn't do anything wrong. She had to let her bitter thoughts aside and only then she would be able to think of a plan.

Sighing in frustration, Sakura sat on the edge of the bed and hid her face between her hands, muffling a groan. A few seconds later, Sakura stood up and tiptoed towards the small closet. She smiled softly as she looked at the pieces of clothes that Rin kindly purchased for her.

She quickly grabbed something comfortable and dressed. Sakura then walked towards the window and opened it. She closed her eyes in appreciation as the soft wind caressed her features. A few minutes later Sakura opened her eyes again and without an effort she jumped down the window towards the ground with a silent thump. Sakura straightened herself as she glanced at both sides of the street.

Sakura decided to go left; her steps were slow as if she had any time of the world at her disposal. Her head was high as she contemplated the many stars that decorated the dark-blue sky. They seemed as if they were staring back at her with knowing glowing eyes. As if they knew her secret and understood the heavy weight she supported on her shoulders.

After what seemed an eternity of walking, Sakura found herself in the middle of the cold empty streets of Konoha. Her bright emerald eyes stared at the tall opened gates. She could see the mass of green standing outside the gates, a vast world whispering into her ears, tempting her.

The wind was blowing softly, caressing her wet skin. Tears fell now down her face freely as her short pink-hair moved along with the wind. Her heart beat was so faint that she wondered if she was still alive. She took a deep breathe as she calmed down her quiet sobs. Then slowly she turned around and stared at the _bench._

The very same bench _he_ had left her on. She smiled weakly as she lied down on her back. It was as if the bench understood her pain.

Her emerald eyes stared at the dark clouds that slowly passed by. Then, suddenly she felt something wet on her forehead. Her fingers touched it. Water.

Before she could do anything, the rain was falling down steadily. Sighing, she remained on the bench as the rain kept falling down, completely soaking her.

"They say the rain wash away all of our sorrows,"

The pink-haired girl sat up at the familiar voice.

"T-tsunade-sama?" she asked with a bewildered look stamped on her pale features.


	9. Nove

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!! I only wish I did.

**Author's Note:****As always, a big thanks for your encouraging reviews! I further apologize for any grammar mistakes. Grammar and I are not exactly on best terms, perhaps due to the fact that my native language is not English. I'll try my best to try to spot those errors and correct them … or maybe I'll get a beta reader, I was browsing for some beta readers on this site the other day, and seeing grammar mistakes on their profile thingy doesn't exactly encourage me to ask for their help (lol) Anyways!! I hope you enjoy this chapter all the same. **

**Once again, thanks for reading!**

* * *

"They say the rain wash away all of our sorrows,"

The pink-haired girl sat up at the familiar voice.

"T-tsunade-sama?" she asked with a bewildered look stamped on her pale features.

Sakura couldn't believe it still. At first Sakura thought that she was imagining it, because, what else could happen to make her situation worse than already it is?

Sakura world had suddenly come crashing down. And her body went numb. Numb with sheer disbelief. And her ears were filled with a weird buzzing sound. The sound just won't go away. Her eyes became like stone, open wide, with tears falling freely. Her mind had temporarily stopped functioning. It was no surprise, her brain was still sagging with the weight of everything that happened to her, trying to understand why and how. And now, her mind was screaming in protest. She couldn't take it anymore.

The pink-haired girl felt as if she was drowning, as if water had claimed her lungs making her speechless. The world around her seemed dizzy, as if everything was about to disappear, as if she didn't know what was real anymore.

Sakura didn't need this. She must get out. It was not true! It couldn't be.

"T-tsunade-sama?" her voice was frail and had a hint of shock present in it.

She tried to calm down; her breathing was becoming more inexistent as the blonde-haired woman started to walk towards her. Sakura heart seemed like one thousand of drums, sounding loudly at an uncoordinated rhythm.

"Funny… you know my name yet I don't remember ever meeting you before," said Tsunade, crossing her arms over her ample bosom.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. She had no idea what to say. She had no idea how to exchange sentences anymore. She tried to behave normally. However, her face seemed to be made of steel, it just would not relax and change its expressions.

The pink-haired girl wanted to stand up and run, but then again she would look completely suspicious. More suspicious than she already was.

**Say something! **Her inner self shouted through her head.

_Say what exactly? I already screwed up, _thinks Sakura as she stares at the approaching blonde-haired woman.

**You don't say! **Inner Sakura added sarcastically, **you know what you have to do... you can't keep this secret all alone, just have a good look at yourself! **

_Shut up! What do I say? Hey… it's so good to finally see you! Hokage-sama… I mean Tsunade-sama… is me! Sakura! You know your apprentice? Oh… you don't remember me… right. That's probably because I'm from the future._

Inner Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously, **Suit yourself…**

Sakura swallowed dry as she looked up at the blonde-haired woman who stopped in front of her. Tsunade's honey eyes stared down at the pink-haired girl contemplatively.

The Sannin woman sighed and surprised the pink-haired girl with a tender smile. Sakura knew by heart all of Tsunade's smiles; there was the fake smile, which Tsunade often offered Shizune when she was forced to do paperwork. There was the sad smile she often gave Naruto when she was staring at the blond-haired boy in a thoughtful manner; there was the proud smile she often gave Sakura when she accomplished some task and then there was the soft true smile, she reserved for sake, Shizune, Naruto, Sakura and Jiraiya.

"Hmm you're a quiet one," observed Tsunade as she sat down next to Sakura. She eyed the girl from the corner of her eyes and then glanced towards the dark clouded sky. It was still raining but not as strongly as before.

"I…" Sakura could hear her own voice. It didn't sound like her at all, "I…" she turned her head towards Tsunade. Emerald met honey, "Tsunade-sama!"

Sakura threw her arms around the blonde-haired woman. Tsunade eyes widened in surprise as a loud sob sounded through the cold night. Sakura buried her head on Tsunade's shoulder as her slender body trembled with each sob.

"Everything's going to be okay…" Tsunade whispered as she carefully embraced the sobbing pink-haired girl.

Sakura let out another loud sob at Tsunade's words. Her hands tightly held onto Tsunade's sleeve.

"T-t-tsunade-sama…" Sakura whispered softly, "I never felt this… this alone…"

Tsunade did not say anything as she spotted a glimpse of a white-haired man between the trees, not too far away from them.

Sakura took a deep breathe and gently pushed herself away from Tsunade's embrace. She blushed slightly as she could only imagine how awkward it was for the blonde-haired woman right now. She was even surprised at Tsunade's serene behaviour.

"You are not alone," Tsunade said as her eyes burned into Sakura's. Much to her surprise, her words came out as honest as possible.

Tsunade stared at the pink-haired girl wonderingly. At first, when Jiraiya found her and started jabbering about a poker contest, she immediately knew that something was up. How? Jiraiya didn't try to flirt with her once. There was no goofy smile plastered on his features. Only then, when half of the bar was destroyed, Jiraiya told her what was it really about. Her immediate thoughts were that he had to be kidding her. There was no way that she would go back to Konoha to talk to a pink-haired brat that she had never heard of.

Now, an odd cold sensation ran up her spine as she found herself drowning in the girl's emerald eyes. Tsunade could read real recognition in those emerald orbs; she could sense an awkward familiarity with the girl.

"Minato-sensei… he summoned you here?" Sakura asked, sighing deeply.

Tsunade nodded slowly in response.

"I knew he was suspicious…" said Sakura as she slowly stared at the dark clouds. It had stopped raining, "He's a smart man… I would never expect anything else from the legendary Hokage,"

Tsunade arched an eyebrow at Sakura, and then she let out a small snort at the pink-haired girl choice of words.

"Legendary?" Tsunade questioned in a mocking and cheerful tone. However, Sakura took no notice of it.

"Hai. Where I come from, he's idolatrized… a hero," Tsunade pressed her lips together and stared at Sakura. This was what she was here for, to hear her story, to find out where she came from, and _more_ importantly, why and how Sakura knew her, "I come from the Fire country, Konohagakure…"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. As she recalled Minato's words, there was not anyone in the village, who had any memory of knowing who this girl was. Putting that part aside, Minato was not in any ways considered a hero. Sure, many respected him and many worshiped him because of his great contribution to the war but he was not a hero by any means.

"I have been born and yet I haven't…" Sakura swiftly looked at Tsunade and smiled softly at the blonde-haired Sannin puzzled features, "I know this sounds crazy… but I'm from the future,"

Tsunade blinked. Once. Twice.

"Say what?" Tsunade muttered as she leaned closer to the girl as if she hadn't heard it correctly.

Sakura sighed. She knew it was crazy, no one would ever believe her.

"Alright, I'm going to tell you the whole story. Please speak only after I'm done," Sakura asked as she stared at the blonde-haired woman waiting for a reply.

Tsunade nodded her head slowly, not sure of what else to say.

"Let's start with the demons, are you aware of those demons that are sealed in human beings?" Sakura asked, her eyes searching Tsunade's.

"Hai…" Tsunade hesitantly answered. She was now curious.

"The nine-tailed fox demon is going to attack Konoha," Sakura paused for effect. If she was going to risk it, then she wanted to see Tsunade's reaction. There was none. Tsunade features remained impassive. Sakura sudden burst of confidence diminished, "Minato-sensei will seal the beast inside a new born baby, he's going to save the village and therefore he will be acclaimed to be a hero… Konoha's hero… then when he dies the Third Hokage…" Sakura swallows dry, "Sarutobi-sama takes the Hokage place not able to entrust it to anyone else,"

Tsunade eyes widened slightly at the pink-haired girl story. Was she mad?

"The Kyuubi container… he… he becomes my best-friend… Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura pauses and takes a deep breathe, she was starting to stutter, "Kakashi is our s-s-sensei… there is this organization t-t-that is after the bijuu's powers and they came for Naruto… he… he… couldn't control it… it exploded and the kyuubi's chakra… it brought me here,"

"Sakura…" Tsunade said as she eyed the poor girl that commenced to sob again, "What you just said… it doesn't make any sense,"

Sakura eyed the blonde-haired woman pleadingly. Tsunade sighed heavily and looked towards the trees. She glared at the white-haired man that was now leaning against one of the trees not bothering to hide his whereabouts.

"Sakura… why don't you tell me the truth this time," said Tsunade, her honey eyes hardened slightly.

Sakura knew that Tsunade was probably losing her patience but so was she, "But what I just said it's the true! It's the whole true!"

Tsunade eyed the pink-haired girl with pity. She now understood. The girl was mad. It was not her fault… she probably thought that she was not lying because she believed in her own lies.

Sakura stood up, her trembling knees shocking against each other. She looked down at the blonde-haired woman with fire burning in her green orbs.

"Then explain this!" Sakura voice came out too loud, "How do I know about you huh? How Orochimaru and Jiraiya-sama were part of your team?"

"Everyone knows about that," said Tsunade as she arched an eyebrow.

Sakura nodded fiercely, "He left… and he became someone else… he became a monster! He experiments on people and it's his fault that Sasuke-kun left!" Sakura paused, gasping as Tsunade smacked her across the face.

"You have no right…" said Tsunade, her honey eyes stared in surprise at how much the pink-haired girl knew. It was supposed to be a secret. Only a very few people knew about this. Who was this girl? Was she a spy? Did Orochimaru send her to play with them?

Sakura could feel the blood drip from her lip down to her chin. She ignored it and stared at the blonde-haired woman with no remorse.

"You become the fifth Hokage after Orochimaru kills Sarutobi-sama," Sakura whispers.

"Stop it… Stop it! That's not true!" Tsunade brought a hand to her mouth, clearly aghast with the pink-haired girl words, "You're lying…"

She had to be lying… she had to be lying… why was even she contemplating the fact that this girl could be speaking the truth? This was ridiculous. Soft sobs disturbed Tsunade's thoughts.

"It's the truth… I… I w-wouldn't lie… I wouldn't…" Sakura fell on her knees and hid her face between her hands suppressing her loud sobs.

Tsunade didn't know what led her to do it. Before she knew it, she was kneeling in front of the weeping girl, her own arms trembling as she pulled Sakura to a tight embrace.

Sakura sobs became louder and echoed through the empty streets of Konoha.

Tsunade looked upwards and eyed the white-haired man who was standing behind Sakura.

"No one can know about this…" said Jiraiya as he stared at Tsunade's teary eyes, "not even Minato…"

Tsunade nodded slowly… Jiraiya believed the girl… what about her? Did she believe her? Did she want to believe her?

Sakura carried on crying not taking any importance on the new familiar voice. Sakura felt warm, she felt safe now that her secret was out. She felt _almost_ home as she cried on Tsunade's arms.

"I can't believe you became the fifth Hokage though," said Jiraiya earning a louder sob from Sakura.

_He_ believed her.

Tsunade chuckled lightly, "Neither do I…"

_They_ believed her.

* * *

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade stepped inside the office and traded tired looks as they stared at the sleeping Hokage. Minato was deep asleep, his head buried beneath his paperwork.

Tsunade leaned against the wall and sighed deeply as Jiraiya hurried to the blond-haired man side. Jiraiya bent down to Minato's ear level, his eyes glanced over an amused Tsunade.

"WAKE UP HOKAGE!"

Minato practically jumped off his seat, a paper glued to his forehead. He stared first at Jiraiya and then towards the blonde-haired woman who had a small frown visible in her features.

"Well? What happened?" Minato asked immediately, disregarding Jiraiya's childish attitude.

"What happened?" Tsunade asked back, her eyebrows furrowed angrily. Minato stepped back and pushed the paper on his forehead away, "I'll tell you what happened! You made me come all this way to talk with a loud-mouthed pink-haired brat that claims to be my favourite number one fan! That's what happened!"

Jiraiya discreetly gave her the thumbs ups, earning a glare from the blonde-haired woman. She couldn't believe she was actually playing along with his plan.

"Oh? I don't understand…" Minato frowned ignoring Tsunade's glare, "she's better at lying than I thought,"

Tsunade snorted, "Lying or not, you just made me waste my time here," Tsunade pouted, "You owe me big time,"

Minato gulped not liking one bit where this conversation was going to, "What? That was not the deal," he said as he eyed the angry Sannin.

Jiraiya placed a hand on his ex-student shoulder, "You better do what she's saying," he whispered.

Minato sighed in defeat, "Sake?" he said as he grabbed his coat.

"Do you even need to ask?" Tsunade replied as she opened the door and was the first to step out the door.

Tsunade was in a real need of Sake. She hoped that some place was still open; otherwise, she would kick the door down and steal some bottles.

When she desperately needed sake, there was no time to think through things. Especially now.

She had just met her apprentice from the future.

Yep, she did need Sake.

* * *

Rin sat in her kitchen, staring out of a window, a cup of tea cooling in front of her. Something was bothering her, and now that her little brothers had left to the academy, she had a free moment to think without anyone disturbing her. She disliked thinking when she could be interrupted. Now, she had ample time.

She had heard the noise last night; it came from Sakura's room. It was not her intention to pry; she was merely worried with the pink-haired girl. She had peeked through the door and she was horrified to find Jiraiya-sama in Sakura's room. He was carrying her in his arms and was placing her in the bed.

Rin had absolutely no idea what to think of it. She knew that Jiraiya-sama was a pervert old man who was always in trouble with women. There was not a single day where Minato-sensei would save his ex-sensei from trouble.

Suddenly a loud knock on the door startled her. She took a quick sip from her tea and placed it down before she ran down the corridor towards the door.

"Kakashi-kun!" her brown eyes widened at the sight of the silver-haired nin.

"Rin," he greeted her, "Where's Sakura?"

"Oh… eh…" Rin waved her hand in a clumsy and embarrassed way. A slight blush took over her cheeks as she remembered last night. Kakashi raised a curious eyebrow, "Ehh… Sakura-chan is still asleep,"

"Still asleep?" Kakashi asked. Rin nodded in response, "Why?"

"Ehhhh?" Rin smiled softly, "She… didn't sleep much last night," Rin added as she pushed a lock of her hair away from her eyes.

Kakashi eyed Rin suspiciously, "Why the hell are you blushing?" he asked and Rin's blush deepened.

"I? What?" Rin asked as Kakashi gently pushed her to the side. Rin eyes widened as Kakashi walked down the corridor, "Kakashi-kun! Wait!" Rin closed the door behind her and ran to catch up with the copy-nin.

Kakashi stopped in the middle of the corridor, causing Rin to bump against his back.

"Ow!" Rin exclaimed as she rubbed her nose.

"Which is it?" asked Kakashi.

"Uh… Kakashi-kun… she's really tired and she-"

"Which one is it?" Kakashi repeated ignoring Rin.

"The one at the left," Rin sighed and watched Kakashi hands traveling to the door's knob. Her eyes widened at his lack of manners. He was not even knocking first.

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask as he wrenched the door open. His eye widened as he looked at the full dressed pink-haired girl who was sitting by the window simply gazing outside. He had been waiting for an opportunity to scold her.

He preferred an arguing Sakura to a silent one. He enjoyed her fierce attitude, the way her emerald eyes shone with determination whenever she got angry. The way her lips pouted, and her hands closed into fists.

That day at the hospital, he had been somewhat disturbed by her distress manner. The emptiness within her emerald eyes reminded him the same blankness Rin's eyes carried when Obito had died. It had taken him and Minato-sensei a lot to bring the brunette girl back to the way she used to be and he did not want to go through it all again.

"Sakura-chan!" said Rin surprised to see Sakura awake.

Sakura turned around and forced a smile on her tired features.

Kakashi eye analyzed the pink-haired girl. She was a mess. She had purple rings around her eyes and looked livid as if she had seen a ghost.

There was another loud knock on the door. Both Sakura and Kakashi eyed Rin.

"I… I'll go check who is at the door," said Rin as she excused herself and ran towards the main door.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kakashi asked as he stepped inside Sakura's room.

Sakura seemed slightly taken back with his demanding yet caring tone of voice, "I… didn't slept much,"

Kakashi walked towards the window and placed himself at the pink-haired kunoichi side, "Well… we have training today, remember?"

"Oh…" Sakura mumbled softly, "Hai. I remember…"

The silver-haired boy sighed and narrowed his uncovered eye, "But?"

"I'm afraid Sakura has some important matters to attend to,"

Sakura gazed behind Kakashi and smiled. Kakashi turned around to meet the owner of the familiar voice.

"Tsunade-sama," he greeted her politely. He eyed the blonde-haired woman and watched as Sakura walked towards Tsunade. Rin was standing behind the blonde Sannin, looking as surprised as he was. Only, he did not show it.

"Kakashi," Tsunade smirked at the silver-haired boy, "I'm sorry for stealing Sakura away,"

"Hn," Kakashi nodded and then his gaze fell on the pink-haired girl, "I see you later then?"

Sakura seemed highly surprised with Kakashi's question. Tsunade arched a curious eyebrow and Rin jaw had dropped slightly.

"To train of course!" Kakashi added quickly as he noticed the females' expressions. A slight blush would have been seen in his cheeks but luckily, for him, his mask covered it up.

Tsunade snorted as Sakura nodded and smiled at the silver-haired boy. Rin silently chuckled at Kakashi's hurried tone of voice.

Sakura waved good-bye as Tsunade and she walked away from the house. Kakashi and Rin stood in Sakura's room window watching their retreating backs.

"Strange…" Kakashi murmured.

Rin looked up at Kakashi, her brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"What's strange, Kakashi-kun?" she questioned.

"The two of them," Kakashi started, his eye was still on the pink-haired girl, "They looked as if they…" he paused trying to find the right words.

"You noticed it too, ne?" Rin asked with a small smile on her face.

Kakashi nodded, "They looked as if they…" he repeated still trying to find the adjusting words.

"As if they shared a secret," Rin finished in a soft voice, causing Kakashi to turn towards her.

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview**

Kakashi smirked at Sakura. "Well Sakura, it was nice knowing you,"

"What do you mean Kakashi?" Sakura asked mockingly. "You are the one that is going to greet the floor, not me!"

Kenjiro scoffed while Kenji rolled his eyes. Rin, however, smiled at both of them.

"Kakashi-kun, you still don't know what Sakura-chan is capable of," said Rin as she sat down between her brothers.

"I don't know Rin. I don't think she has what it takes to take _me_ down."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly into his personal space. "Is that so, Mr. Hatake? Well, I'll just have to prove you wrong, ne?"

Tsunade laughed. "Well, this is going to be interesting to watch," then she stared at Jiraiya who had his arms crossed around his chest, "What do you think? Want… to bet on which of the two lovebird's will win?"

Jiraiya gave the blonde-haired woman a wide grin and before she could blink, he was standing next to her, an arm around her shoulders, "That's the spirit! I'll have to bet on Kakashi," Jiraiya turned his head to Kakashi, "Oi boy! Don't let me down!"

* * *

**A/N: Here's the chapter. I'm still pondering whether I'm going or not to re-write it. I hope it was any good. I'm sorry it was short. I only wanted to focus on Tsunade and Sakura in this one. **

Btw...**I'm ill and stuck at home and already working on the next chapter. It's going to be the longest chapter I ever wrote. So I hope you stick with me and enjoyed this one. Please Review!**


	10. Dez

_Flaming Heart_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! I write only for pure entertainment!

Author Note: Thanks for your reviews of the previous chapter. As you can see, I finally finished the chapter! Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Here it goes...

* * *

"Finally!" Jiraiya complained, spotting Tsunade and the pink-haired girl. He was sitting cross-legged on the tree branch. His elbows were resting on his legs and his hands were supporting his chin. His dark eyes once filled with tedium were now glowing with excitement.

Both Tsunade and Sakura looked upwards and stared at a grinning Jiraiya. He was now standing on the tree branch and Sakura lips parted as she could only assume that the white-haired man was trying to make a cool pose. Tsunade right eye twitched and her lips formed a straight line as she stared at Jiraiya's ridiculous posture.

Jiraiya both legs were apart, his right hand was lying on his waist and his right arm was pointing to the sky. His eyes were open wide and he had a mischievous smile adorning his features.

Sakura found herself smiling despite the ridiculous pose. The way Jiraiya eyes glowed as he looked down at them, immersed with life… just like Naruto's eyes whenever he made a joke, whenever he got yelled at, whenever he jumped and punched the air and insisted to say that he was going to be a Hokage someday.

"There you are! Two beauties have come just for me!" Jiraiya exclaimed, throwing his head back, staring at the clean sky, "I have been blessed!" the arm that was pointing to the sky swiftly moved to his heart.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and sighed through her nose, "Just get down,"

"What? No hello?" Jiraiya feigned a hurt expression as he jumped of the tree branch onto the ground. He did not wait for an answer, his dramatic expression changed to a serious one, "were you followed?"

Tsunade shook her head. Sakura turned to stare at the blonde-haired woman and opened her mouth to say something but Tsunade waved her hand in front of Sakura's face.

"Minato is smarter than we thought," Tsunade smirked as she looked down at the pink-haired girl.

Jiraiya snorted, "Of course he is," he added proudly, "I trained him remember?"

Tsunade eyed him and suppressed a laugh, "Hai, it still amazes me how Namikaze did not end with a permanent brain damage,"

Sakura eyed Tsunade and then looked at the pouting white-haired man.

"Well… I think it's safe to stay here," said Tsunade as she looked around. Jiraiya nodded and he and Tsunade turned to stare at Sakura. Both wore a serious expression on their features that almost scared her.

"Sakura…" The pink-haired girl stared at Tsunade; her attention was very devoted to the blonde-haired woman, "Jiraiya and I are leaving Konoha…"

Confusion flickered in Sakura's emerald eyes, "Leaving?" Sakura whispered, "B-but why?" Something heavy held her heart. She did not want them to go. Not now! Not when she has someone that knows… and more importantly… believes in her.

Tsunade offered the pink-haired girl a sad smile, "Hear me out first," Sakura nodded hesitantly, "We need to know what your intentions are,"

Sakura didn't need Tsunade to elaborate. She knew exactly what Tsunade was getting at. Nodding slowly, Sakura sighed deeply and looked up to the two Sannin.

"I… I've decided to change the future," said Sakura as her eyes lingered on both Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Jiraiya and Tsunade traded knowing looks before they redirected their gaze at the pink-haired girl. Tsunade was going to say something but Jiraiya beat her to it.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Jiraiya questioned, his dark eyes burning into her emerald ones.

Sakura eyes widened as Jiraiya stared back at her. Her heart skipped a beat and her jaw fell down in a mist of surprise and shock.

"I… I still am thinking of something," Sakura said, trying to calm herself down. Her head turned slightly to stare at a contemplatively Tsunade.

"Sakura… let us help you," said Tsunade, placing a comforting hand on the pink-haired girl shoulder.

Sakura eyes widened. She had seen it, the resolve to get involved in Jiraiya's eyes.

"H-help m-me?" Sakura stuttered, hiding her trembling hands inside her pockets. Both Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded at her question.

"You think we would let you have the credits all to yourself?" Jiraiya shot her an amused look and then chuckled, "We are dealing with demons here, and you're going to need all the help you can get,"

Sakura didn't know what to say. Her insides got warm and she could feel something burst inside her… she could feel hope.

"So here's the plan," said Tsunade, leaned forward and so did Jiraiya, though the white haired-man was leaning more to Tsunade's side than towards Sakura. His face was awkwardly close to the blonde-haired woman large breasts, "Jiraiya and I are leaving to gather some information… there was some rumors, a few years ago about an old man who sealed the Shichibi, last we heard he was at the Lightening Country,"

Sakura slowly nodded at the piece of information, "And what else-"

"You just do your thing," Jiraiya said, one eye staring at her while his other eye was somehow trying to peek through Tsunade's cleavage.

Sakura blinked at Jiraiya. He was such a pervert. Tsunade noticed Sakura expression and slowly looked at Jiraiya. Her honey eyes narrowed in displeasure and in a matter of seconds, Jiraiya's face had collided with the floor.

Ignoring the Sannin protests, Tsunade smiled down at Sakura, "You'll have to stay here and pretend nothing's wrong. I'm sure you still have things to do, train as hard as you can, and try to research as much as you can…" Tsunade then started to laugh. Jiraiya and Sakura both stared at her wonderingly.

Suddenly, Jiraiya started to laugh too and Sakura narrowed her eyes as she stared at both Tsunade and Jiraiya with a puzzled face.

"And then when I stared at Jiraiya he was tied to the pole like the loser he is," Tsunade laugher grew louder.

Jiraiya's laugher died down and he shot a quick glare at the blonde-haired woman. Tsunade arched an eyebrow at the pink-haired girl as if she was inciting her to laugh.

"Hahaha!" Sakura added quickly, hoping that her laugher wasn't so superficial, "For real?"

"You bet!" Tsunade added as she stepped back and stretched her arms in a lazy manner.

"Here you are!"

Sakura jumped startled as she stared at a red-haired woman who had mysteriously appeared in front of her.

The red-haired woman pointed her index finger at Tsunade, "Thought you'd get away from me? Not this time!"

Jiraiya and Sakura stood side by side, as they watched Tsunade scratch the back of her neck, "Kushina! Nice… to see you,"

"Bullshit!" Kushina exclaimed, then suddenly she peeked behind her shoulder and glared at Jiraiya then her glare softened and she looked at Sakura, "Oh hello, pinkie!"

Sakura eyes narrowed at the nickname but said nothing as the red-haired woman turned her attention back to Tsunade, "Now where's the money you owe me?"

Both Jiraiya and Sakura sweat dropped.

* * *

A large group of children squealed in excitement as they gathered just outside the Ninja Academy, forming a circle. Inside the circle were three boys. Two boys stood side by side facing the other boy.

The boy who was looking at the two boys did not look as confident as the other two did. He tried to ignore the surrounding people yelling and their mocking laugher.

The two boys were slightly older and had smug smiles on their pale features. The tallest one had short spiky dark hair and his eyes were dark as void. The other one was slightly shorter and had his long dark hair on a ponytail. He had his arms crossed around his chest and had a look of malice in his dark eyes.

"Guys…" the boy started as he looked up at the older boys. He swallowed dry as they slowly stepped forwards, "It… it wasn't me! I swear!"

The tallest boy sniggered as he looked ahead at the shorter boy, "You think we care about that stupid prank of yours?" he snorted loudly as he eyed the boy with disdain, "We just want to teach you something…"

The shorter boy looked slightly confused, "Huh? Teach me? What are you on about?"

"Shut up!" the other boy, whose hair was on a ponytail ordered, "It's not your fault really…" his loud voice swiftly diminished, his tone of voice changed from an annoyed one to a mocking singing one, "after all… you should blame that sister of yours,"

The other boy was about to ask them what they were on about when a loud familiar voice echoed in the air, "Ughhh! Let me through!" and after that, followed up several whines, "Kenji!"

Kenji, looked up at his twin brother who somehow had manages to break through the crowd into the circle.

"Look who decided to show up," the spiky dark-haired boy said, glaring at the other twin.

"What the hell you think you're doing, Uchiha?" Kenjiro asked, angrily.

"What does it look like, you baka!" said Kenji as he rolled his eyes at his brother, "They're picking a fight with us!"

"They are?" Kenjiro asked, his brown eyes bulged, as he looked mildly shocked.

"You're such an idiot! Why did you come anyway?" Kenji asked as he gritted his teeth in annoyance.

The two Uchiha's traded confused looks before looking back at the twins.

"Why did I come?" Kenjiro asked dumbfounded, "Why, I came to save your sorry ass, that's why!"

Kenji snorted and placed a fist close to Kenjiro's face, "As if I'd need your help!"

"Nani?!"

"Shut up both of you!" the tallest Uchiha said irately, "It doesn't matter, you're both toasted, you don't stand a chance against us!"

"Oh yeah!?" the twins asked in unison.

"Yeah!" the Uchihas replied also in unison.

"Kenji! Leave this to me!" said Kenjiro.

Kenji was about to protest but Kenjiro cut him off as he walked towards the Uchiha's who seemed highly amused and confident.

"Behold my new technique! It was taught by the Sannin Jiraiya himself!" Kenjiro looked at the watching crowded to watch their mouth wide opened in admiration, "That's right,"

One of the Uchiha's stepped back hesitantly, the tallest one remained firm on his spot.

"Hn, I don't believe you! As if Jiraiya-sama has time for losers like you!"

Kenjiro eye twitched, "You leave me no choice!" his hands came together and then he started to make hand signs.

The Uchiha's eyes widened in a mix of shock and fear.

"QUICKSAND NO JUTSU!" Kenjiro shouted as he stopped his hand signs. Everyone gasped in anticipation and the two Uchiha's quickly looked at their feet in sheer panic.

They started to jump on the floor, scared that the floor would give in at any minute.

Kenji only had time to blink before he could gather what was really going on, suddenly he felt something grasp his arm. He found himself being dragged away between the crowd.

"What the hell was that?" Kenji asked as they escaped the circle and started to sprint away from the academy.

"What was what?" Kenjiro asked as they ran side by side.

"That jutsu!" Kenji snapped.

"Oh that?" Kenjiro stopped as he doubled over with laugher, "Hahaha! They really believed it!"

Kenji eyes widened, "It… it was a trick?" Kenjiro nodded as he tried to breathe between his laugher, "You Baka! We're so dead tomorrow…"

* * *

Sakura noticed it. She had noticed it since the very beginning, since that day she left the hospital with Rin. She had seen the stares, their hardened fierce eyes on the brunette girl. The very same stares they were giving her now.

Sakura fought to control the twisting knot that had begun to fester in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to turn around and give them some of their own medicine. Hell, she wanted to break someone apart. It was beyond infuriating.

She had no idea why they looked upon her and Rin this way. Suddenly, she came to a stop. Were they like this towards Kakashi-sensei as well? Her nose twitched slightly as she frowned in thought. Then, shaking her head she started to walk down street again, completely oblivious to what others were whispering behind her back.

If there was something, that Sakura could care less, was gossiping. She often felt ashamed just to think that she was once like that… just to think that her own eyes once stared at the same way at Naruto made her feel spasms of guilt course through her body.

Sakura turned left and let out a small yelp as she was send directly to the ground, butt landing.

"Oh… are you alright?"

Sakura looked up at the somewhat familiar voice. Her emerald eyes bored into Kyo's dark ones.

"Kyo!" she exclaimed somewhat surprised to see him. She flushed slightly as she realized that she was still in the middle of the floor, she then flung herself up and juddered the dust away.

"Sakura," Kyo acknowledge her with a slight bow of his head, "What are you doing, here?" the Uchiha smiled discreetly at her baffled expression.

"Huh? I'm actually looking for my team-mates," even though those words came out of her lips as if she had just said the normal thing, to the pink-haired girl they didn't sounded completely right.

Sure, Kakashi-sensei was somewhat her team-mate. However, the others… the others were not her team. A cold feeling ran up her spine and she tried to shudder away all the negative thoughts. She couldn't allow herself to feel homesick.

"Actually I think-" Kyo started but Sakura didn't seem to have heard him.

"I already checked in the hospital for Rin but they said she had left with Kakashi one hour ago," Sakura shrugged and smiled, "I tried Kakashi's house but no one answered and now I'm going to try and check Rin's place again and-,"

"Sakura, actually I think I saw—"

Sakura sighed, "and if that doesn't work then I'll go to Minato-sensei…"

Kyo arched an amused eyebrow as the pink-haired girl placed a finger on her lips, deep in thought.

"Yes! That's it! I still haven't checked the Hokage-tower!" Sakura added as if she had won a prize, her emerald eyes beaming.

"They're at the training field," said Kyo, a small smile now visible in his thin lips. Sakura eyes shot upwards and bored into his dark ones.

"Oh!!" Sakura managed to say as she looked at him, her heart rythym accelerated as she could have sworn she was looking at Sasuke's eyes, "Oooh!" she repeated and chuckled nervously.

Kyo could not help but to chuckle back, "I'll walk you," his tone of voice was pleasant and yet left no room for protests.

Sakura nodded as Kyo walked with her. At first, they walked in silence; Sakura eyed some gossiping citizens from the corner of her eyes and often scowled silently. However, Kyo seemed to have noticed it.

He jerked his head to look at her as they walked down the street towards the training field, "It's because you are their team-mate,"

Sakura snorted, "I already figured that out," and then she looked up to look back at him, "What's their problem anyway?"

"It's a long story," Kyo told her.

"Well, we could always walk slower," Sakura, offered him an innocent grin and he chuckled lightly.

"Alright…" Kyo added hesitantly, "Does the name Obito ring a bell?"

Sakura stopped for a few seconds, her contemplatively expression changed to a frown.

"_No, it's quite alright… it's something that happened years ago b-but it's still so… so carved in our hearts. We were on a mission… and Minato-sensei… h-he gave Kakashi full control of the t-team. It was supposed to be a happy day you know? Kakashi had just made jounin at thirteen, we were all thrilled about it…, and Obito… well he was late as always. He was always late, always. And he was also always smiling, a-always… always making everyone laugh. B-but that day… everything… e-everything went wrong," _

"_Shhh, it's alright…you don't need to talk about it," _

"_N-no … It's not o-okay. __It was me! It was because of me that… t-that he died. I… if only I wasn't the weakest link… then…t-then he would still be alive,"_

Sakura's frown deepened, "Hai,"

Kyo nodded, "He was Obito _Uchiha_…"

"Oh?" said Sakura as she blinked stupidly at Kyo. Then her eyes widened as sudden realization hit her. Obito _Uchiha_… Rin… _medic-nin_… Kakashi-sensei… _Sharingan, _"That's why… b-but it's not their fault!" Sakura added perhaps too loudly.

Kyo looked calm and collected as before, "They shouldn't have done it anyway. They should have been more considerate to our clan's trait,"

"What?" Sakura asked as she looked at Kyo as if she was looking directly at Sasuke, "Clan's trait? Hah!" She snorted as she looked directly at his eyes, "Let me ask you this… were you there?"

"There? Where?" Kyo asked feeling somewhat confused by the pink-haired girl question. He quickly scanned their surrounding area. There was a few people gathering and staring at them. It was no surprise; they were after all standing in the middle of the street facing each other.

"Were you there when Obito died?" Sakura asked, her voice was calm but her eyes were in flames, "Do you know what happened that day? Do you know what Rin and Kakashi went through that day? Do you know what words were spoken that day?"

Kyo opened his mouth to say something but he closed it right away, Sakura smiled and placed her index finger on his chest, "Then you should try and be more _considerate_ about all that," she added and turned her back on him.

**HELLZ YEAH! **

Sakura allowed herself to giggle at her inner self. She carried on walking; she proudly raised her head looking straight ahead, ignoring the gasps and the stares of the people around her. A smug smile adorned her pale features as she spotted the training fields.

A rushing feeling took over Sakura and she found herself running through the green grass and the tall trees. She could hear laugher and found her smug smile turn into a wide grin as she recognized Rin's laugher.

She came to a stop as she looked at the scene in front of her.

Rin was kneeling on the grass, her hands holding her stomach as she laughed. In front of Rin were Kenji and Kenjiro, both running around a certain silver-haired jounin. Kakashi seemed to be warning them to be quiet but they weren't paying him any attention.

Kenji threw himself at one of Kakashi's legs causing the masked-nin to fall down. Kenjiro looked upwards to the sky and imitated a war cry before launching himself towards Kakashi.

Sakura heart started to beat strongly against her chest. A feeling of warmth spread over her as she watched them being so carefree… so… happy. Looking at them made her feel… so out of place.

At that very moment, something heavy landed on Sakura's shoulder. Startled, the pink-haired girl let out a small scream.

"Are you just going to stand here all day?"

Sakura eyelashes fluttered as Minato-sensei smiled down at her. Her eyes were fixed on his blue-eyes and on his smile as if she was stuck in a trance.

_Naruto… _

"Hey!" Kenji pouted as Kakashi placed him and Kenjiro down without any effort. He heard a small scream from his left; he quickly jerked his head and spotted Minato-sensei and Sakura.

Rin laugher died down as she too stared at the pink-haired girl. Rin seemed somewhat relieved and had a funny expression in her features as she stared at Sakura, as if she was hoping to see someone else with her.

Kakashi shrugged it off and ran towards Sakura.

"What took you so long?" He asked as he stopped in front of her. His eye narrowed at Sakura who ignored him and kept looking at Minato-sensei with an odd look stamped in her face.

Minato-sensei smiled awkwardly, "Ready Sakura?"

Sakura seemed to have snapped back to reality and slowly nodded her head. Yet, Kakashi could still see the puzzled expression in her pale features. She finally looked at him and smiled.

Minato started to walk away towards the twins. Sakura shook her head slightly and seemed to be scowling herself. She slowly turned around ready to follow Minato-sensei but Kakashi placed himself in front of her, blocking her way.

"Hey!" she greeted cheerfully as if she only had noticed him now and Kakashi rolled his eye.

"What's wrong? Do you have a crush on Minato-sensei?" Kakashi added mockingly watching as her emerald eyes widened in shock.

"W-what?" she questioned obviously taken back with his question. Then she narrowed her eyes at him, "don't be stupid!"

"It looked like you were gawking at him," Kakashi said shrugging his shoulders.

Sakura jaw dropped, "I-I was not gawking at him!" she said horrified by the silver-haired boy words.

Kakashi smirked, "I could have sworn that you were drooling slightly as well,"

"I was not!" Sakura emerald eyes widened at Kakashi.

"Suuree.." Kakashi muttered as he shrugged his shoulders, he turned his back on her and a smile formed under his mask, "It's okay really… it's understandable… there is a lot of girls in love with Minato-sensei and being the Hokage-" Kakashi was interrupted as he felt something warm around his arm. He looked surprised as Sakura yanked him towards her.

"I wasn't!" she exclaimed, her mouth slightly open and then she hurriedly closed it after she realized how stupid she had sounded. She could not believe that she actually fell for it. "Hatake Kakashi!" she practically screamed as she lunged herself after the masked nin.

She could feel the win caress her skin, her pink-hair staying behind as she ran through the training field, chasing Kakashi. She laughed as she ran after the silver-haired boy. All the previous feeling of being out of place were no more.

Rin stared at Sakura and Kakashi with a small smile. Lately, since they had returned, Kakashi had adopted a much more relaxing posture. Rin knew he was trying to become a better person and she knew that partly it was due to the pink-haired girl. Somehow, Sakura seemed to be the knot on the rope that kept them holding on, that kept the rope from falling apart.

Minato too seemed quite amused by Kakashi reaction.

"Well… we know something more about your skills," said Kakashi as he dodged Sakura.

She stared at him defiantly, "Oh yeah, what?"

"You're awfully slow,"

"Oii!" A loud voice caught everyone's attention.

"Jiraiya-sama!" the two twins yelled in unison as Jiraiya and Tsunade walked towards them.

"We were looking for you, Minato," said Tsunade, her honey eyes implied that there was something that needed to be discussed privately.

Minato nodded and smiled, "Kakashi and Sakura are going to spar,"

Tsunade arched a curious eyebrow while Jiraiya was struggling under Kenji and Kenjiro.

"Okay guys, show us what you got," said Minato, his bright-blue eyes stared intently at the pink-haired girl. His smile disappeared and a serious meditative expression took place. He knew something was happening behind his back and he knew that Jiraiya and Tsunade did not tell him the whole truth. However, even though he was not inside their secret, he wasn't worried. If Jiraiya and Tsunade chose not to tell him, it was because they had a good reason.

Kakashi nodded as he stared at Sakura. They had both listened to Minato. Sakura bit her lip and quickly glanced towards Tsunade who seemed to be talking to Rin.

"Remember, no Sharingan… and no using that strength of yours," Minato added as he crossed his arms around his chest.

Jiraiya smacked the twin's heads earning two loud cries and placed them on the floor. He stared ahead towards Kakashi and Sakura, "Not now boys…"

Tsunade and Rin stopped talking. The blonde-haired woman stared intently at Sakura as Minato mentioned her strength. She was curious to see with her own eyes, how much Sakura had learned under her future-self supervision.

Kakashi smirked at Sakura. "Well Sakura, it was nice knowing you,"

Sakura eyes snapped back towards the silver-haired jounin.

"What do you mean Kakashi?" Sakura asked mockingly. "You are the one that is going to greet the floor, not me!"

Kenjiro scoffed while Kenji rolled his eyes. Rin, however, smiled at both of them.

"Kakashi-kun, you still don't know what Sakura-chan is capable of," said Rin as she sat down between her brothers.

"I don't know Rin. I don't think she has what it takes to take _me_ down."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly into his personal space. "Is that so, Mr. Hatake? Well, I'll just have to prove you wrong, ne?"

Tsunade laughed. "Well, this is going to be interesting to watch," then she stared at Jiraiya who had his arms crossed around his chest, "What do you think? Want… to bet on which of the two lovebird's will win?"

Jiraiya gave the blonde-haired woman a wide grin and before she could blink, he was standing next to her, an arm around her shoulders, "That's the spirit! I'll have to bet on Kakashi," Jiraiya turned his head to Kakashi, "Oi boy! Don't let me down!"

Kakashi and Sakura nodded shortly at each other as they got into a ready stance. Sakura narrowed her emerald eyes and focused only on Kakashi, forgetting about the watching crowd. She knew that Kakashi-sensei was an excellent fighter. However, the boy in front of her wasn't her Kakashi-sensei… not yet anyways. He was still a lot different from the silver-haired jounin she knew.

The silver-haired boy stared at Sakura; he could see by the muscles of her legs that she was tense. A smirk formed underneath his mask as he stepped forward and Sakura legs trembled with anticipation.

"Heh, scared?" he asked mockingly.

Sakura cursed mentally and then rolled his eyes at him, "As if!"

Kakashi eyebrow arched in surprise as the pink-haired girl ran towards him. He watched her feet and furrowed his eyebrow as he watched her jump in the air, one fist ready to hit him.

He quickly dodged her punch as he stepped to the side, he then turned around preparing a punch of his own but wasn't expecting her to crouch and kick his knee. He rolled on the floor and quickly stood up.

Sakura had a smug expression as she straightened herself.

"Not bad," Kakashi admitted as he placed himself back to a ready stance, "My turn,"

Sakura eyes widened as Kakashi disappeared. The back of her neck stood up as she felt his presence behind her. She gasped, turned around and barely had time to block Kakashi punches.

_Damn I've forgotten how fast he is, _she thought as she bit her lip and moved according to his punches, her arms lifting in order to block them. Kakashi moved forward while she moved backwards.

Kakashi could see that she was finding it hard to keep up with his speed. Taking full advantage of it, he sprinted to her side and elbowed her back. Sakura groaned in pain, as she was not clearly expecting it. She had to pay more attention and try to read into his attacks.

Easier said than done. Before she could even step away from him, something hit her side. Wind rushed passed her face, whipping her hair out of her eyes as she fell, and random leaves slapped at her. After a certain distance, Sakura twisted in mid-air, flipping herself around so that when she landed, she was on her feet. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she fell into a crouch to absorb the impact and then sprang back up again.

She glared at Kakashi who was standing merely looking at her. He had a hand inside his pocket as if he was telling her that he only required one hand to fight her.

"You weren't kidding when you said that Taijutsu really was your weakness," said Kakashi as he stared at her, "Perhaps next time you can spar Kenji. He's better opponent than you,"

Sakura eyebrow twitched violently and quickly launched herself across the training field at Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled as Sakura sprung forwards, her emerald eyes in flames.

_Now this is exactly the Sakura I know, _thought Kakashi as he avoided her punches and kicks. She was faster and he could feel the intent of actually landing a hit on him coming from her attacks. He then, saw her weakness right there.

Whenever, she launched her self to attack she quickly forgot about her openings, about her defenses. That of course needed to be fixed, but for now he would take advantage of it.

He quickly deflected her attacks and could see her anger turn into frustration. He then jumped in mid-air and landed behind her, he quickly turned around, held her arm, and pulled her towards him.

Sakura gasped in surprise as she felt herself being pulled backwards. She looked into Kakashi eye wonderingly, but before she could think of an escape, Kakashi gave her a solid blow sending her across towards a tree. Sakura closed her eyes tightly as she felt her back slam hard. She would have fell down but something kept her firmly on her feet.

She opened her eyes and looked at Kakashi who was oddly close to her. He had one arm around her slender waist.

"You… lose," he whispered.

Sakura eyes widened. Her heart was beating so strongly against her chest that she wondered if it would jump and fall onto the floor.

"Come on Sakura! Don't make me lose money!" Tsunade voice reached Sakura ears.

Then she slowly shook her head and her lips twisted up into a brief smirk that disappeared almost instantly as a small cough escaped her lips. Kakashi chuckled and took his arm away from her waist.

"You want to know why you lost?" he asked her, his dark eye beaming.

Sakura emerald eyes bored into his uncovered eye, "Who said I lost?"

Kakashi opened his mouth to retort but never managed to say anything as Sakura forehead collided with his own. Both Sakura and Kakashi groaned in pain. However, Kakashi seemed more distracted with his own pain than Sakura.

Sakura then, kicked him to the floor. Kakashi looked aghast as Sakura sat on his firm stomach, her legs on his sides. Sakura emerald eyes were beaming and… teary from the forehead collision.

"What the hell Sakura?" He asked as he massaged his forehead, his eye pausing on her forehead, "You have one hell of a forehead!"

"Sakura-chan!!" Rin cheered clapping her hands.

Kenjiro looked mildly surprised while Kenji pouted. Jiraiya smacked his own forehead as Tsunade shot him a 'pay-me-now' look.

Sakura glared dangerously at him, "Say it,"

Kakashi shot her a wonderingly look, "What? You have a super large forehead?"

"GRR!" Sakura groaned and smacked his head, "Say that I won which makes me…" Sakura paused and seemed to be deep in thought, "which makes me the champion,"

Kakashi blinked, "the champion?"

"Alright, seems like we have a winner," Minato smiled down at Kakashi and Sakura.

Sakura smiled at Minato, "I was lucky,"

Kakashi groaned and pushed Sakura off him, "Damn right you were," he told her as he stood up. Sakura chuckled and she too pushed herself up, "You have too many openings, when you attack you forget to read your opponents counter-attack," Kakashi told her, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Not only that but you're also really slow, as medic-nin your job is to avoid to get hit so you really need to train hard,

"Hai, and that is why you will train until you improve," Minato told Sakura, his blue-eyes boring into hers, "Only until then, after you improved, I'll let you go on missions,"

"What?!" Kakashi asked not sounding too content. Then he turned to Sakura, "You better take this seriously,"

Sakura rolled her eyes and didn't bother to reply.

* * *

A blonde-haired girl waved her hands in the air energetically, "I'm telling you! It's true!"

A purple-haired girl sighed in exasperation as she looked up to the blonde-haired girl, "You're full of bull, no one believes you anyway, so give it up and go back home,"

The blonde-haired girl gasped, slightly taken back with her friend harsh tone, "Yumi! I'm serious! Why would I make something like this up?"

Yumi ran a polished hand through her short purple-hair and sighed, "You're really telling me you saw Kakashi-kun and this pink-haired girl snuggling?"

The blonde-haired girl nodded feverishly, "When I was walking home yesterday, I heard people at the training area… It sounded like Kakashi-kun so of course I hurried to see what was going on," she paused with a slight blush in her cheeks, "and then when I got there, I saw Hokage-sama team there and… and in the middle of the field was Kakashi-kun under this pink-haired girl!"

Yumi golden eyes widened, "And? What else?"

The blonde-haired girl rubbed the back of her neck, "Well… I'm not entirely sure… I wasn't in a perfect angle… but they did look like they were snuggling!" she spat horrified.

"So you are saying that you saw them together… but you aren't sure what they were exactly doing…"

"H-hai… b-but they did seem like they were snuggling!"

"Aki… you're so full of bull!"

Whether Aki was telling the truth or not didn't matter, because the piece of gossip hit the grapevine so fast it must have been a slow day for everything else.

It soared across Konoha at the speed of light.

"Kakashi has gotten a girlfriend? Oh, that's fantastic!" an old lady sang to the girl who had been carrying her shopping bags.

"How is that fantastic?" sobbed the small girl, who swore to the gods she was the one that was going to marry the mysterious silver-haired ninja some day. "Kakashi-kun can't date that despicable thing!"

The old woman stopped to look at the girl, "Why not? Kakashi could use a girl like her!"

"Grandmother you don't even know her!"

"If Kakashi is dating her it's because she's a good girl, Mika,"

"You're such a traitor! I full-heartedly disapprove!"

* * *

"Awww, come on Sakura-chan! It's not really that bad," said Rin as she eyed the sulking pink-haired girl.

Sakura looked up to the brunette girl, "Not that bad?" she repeated arching an eyebrow, "Not that bad?! Everyone is talking about me! J-just to think… that Kakashi and… I," Sakura brought her hands to her face and suppressed a groan.

Rin smiled despite Sakura bad-mood. In fact, she thought it was highly entertained to see the pink-haired kunoichi reaction at the latest rumors. However, Kakashi was even much more amusing than Sakura.

Both girls stood outside the silver-haired jounin still waiting for him to open the door. It seemed as if he was not coming out any time soon.

"Actually I think it's funny," said Rin as she smiled down at the pink-haired girl who gave her a deadly glare.

"How is it funny, Rin?" Sakura sighed through her nose, "Kakashi and I… is just…"

**WRONG! He's Kakashi-sensei for crying out loud!**

"What?" Rin questioned utterly curious, "Sakura-chan you're weird. Kakashi has many admirers and besides he's _not_ that bad,"

Sakura blinked and then her lips twisted upwards in a mischievous smile, "He's not that bad hein? Pray tell Rin… do you have a crush on Kakashi?"

"W-what!?" Rin asked, her cheeks burning and turning complete scarlet, "Of course not!"

Sakura nodded slowly and grinned at Rin.

"What?" Rin asked as she narrowed her eyes at Sakura's grin.

"Nah… it's nothing," Sakura chuckled causing Rin to roll her eyes.

"Come on, do tell!" the brunette girl insisted not liking one bit the beaming look on Sakura emerald eyes.

"It's just cute," Sakura said trying to keep a straight face.

"Cute?" Rin asked puzzled, "What's so cute?"

"You… blushing…" Sakura said arching her eyebrows.

"Sakura-chan! Kakashi-kun is just a friend! He's my team-mate! I couldn't possible-"

Sakura laughed at Rin's awkwardness, "Relax Rin… I was just joking,"

Both girls suddenly stopped chatting at once, as the door quickly opened, "I'm going to kill whoever started this rumor," said Kakashi as he stared at both girls with a murdering look stamped on his face.

Sakura laughed and stared at him, "Why, Kakashi-kun! I thought we'd make such a cute couple!"

Kakashi blinked and stared at Sakura as if she had completely lost it.

"Don't take me wrong, Sakura-chan! It's just you're not really my type," Kakashi added with a smirk forming underneath his mask.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Are we going or not? I have to get to Konoha's library after training,"

Kakashi and Rin shot her wonderingly looks, "Why?" they both asked in unison.

Sakura smiled at them, "Medical research!" she told them satisfied with her own little lie and at the same time guilty for having to lie in the first place.

"Really?" Rin added excitedly, "Maybe I could tag along?" she asked expectantly.

_Well I didn't see that one coming, _thought Sakura as the three of them headed to the training field. –

* * *

**A/N: That's it until the next update. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter and as always, please review if you could.**


	11. Onze

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.

A/N: Thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews. Here's the new chapter.

I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The wind swept across the tall trees, the leaves dancing along in a fantastical dervish. On the clammy ground, the fallen splattered leaves seemed to rise upwards, taken against their will in eddying whirlwinds, the faint light of the moon glimmered by short moments the path ahead, before it was lost in the oppressive darkness that the clouds above supplied.

A faint stirring on the muddy path broke through the soft moans of the wind and two masked figures stepped forwards into the warmth of the moonlight. The white vest and the dark pants, plus the mask on their face and the tattoo on their upper arm deceived no one. One of the mask illustrations resembled an owl and the other mask resembled a vulture.

The one who wore the owl looking mask was clearly a female; she had long curly blond-hair and which was pretty obvious to see through her shaped figure. Her partner, the vulture looking mask nin had short blond hair and walked behind her, every now and then he looked around their surroundings making sure that they hadn't been followed. Suddenly, they came to a stop and they stared at the clearing field in expectation. The female ANBU raised a gloved hand to one of her white vest pocket and pulled out a sealed scroll. Then in a single, fluid movement, she knelt down on the weathered grass, lowering her head forwards, as though in a display of subjugation to the upcoming storm.

For a while she rested, her body trembling with nerves or simply from the gelid cold that reached her bones. Nevertheless, through it all she remained impassive, her slender frame impervious and resilient, utterly majestic. In addition, it was something expected from an ANBU.

Her partner watched her in silence. His senses still alert to what was around then, trying to feel something, a step, a whisper, anything that would immediately tell him that someone had seen them or if someone was there. He remained firm as a stone, a statue, focused on keeping his guard up.

Small droplets of rain greeted them at the same time. Their heads jerked toward each other. The blonde-haired female nodded her head at something unsaid between them. Quickly she opened the scroll, her hands joined together in a simple and singular hand seal and she held her breathe as she watched in both surprise and fear as the word **NORTH** slowly appeared in the blank scroll.

The male ANBU nodded quietly as she swiftly stood up and destroyed the scroll. Then, they both walked towards the dense forest ignoring the heavy rain that fell down as if the rain itself was telling them not to. To turn around and seek shelter. To turn around before it was too late.

But they never did falter, the male ANBU would simply not abandon his partner and she seemed resolute in going further. He could see it though, the slim hesitation in her trek, the slim hesitations on her breathe. He was about to say something, to ask her once _again _if she was _sure_. However, before any word could escape his lips, he noticed them. He could see him.

They both stopped, the female and male ANBU and stared ahead.

There he was right in the middle. Beside him, stood two other ANBU, their mask were blank, probably to try to hide their identity. Nothing on them gave away their intentions. A closer look told them that there was more, they were hidden between the trees, taking advantage of the darkness and of the rain.

They shifted their attention to the figure that was standing in the middle. The bandages that covered half of his face, the cross scar right in his chin, the walking stick in his hand supporting him. The blond-haired ANBU wondered why he insisted in leaning to it. He was now fully aware that the man did not need it.

The blonde-haired female bowed respectful and she waited for her partner to do the same. The male ANBU suppressed a displeasured growl and bowed his head too.

"Danzou-sama," greeted the female ANBU, her voice trembling.

It seemed as though time has stopped, suspended on the impenetrable silence that fell between them. Danzou looked apprehensively at the male ANBU clearly showing how displeasured he was by the new and _unexpected _company.

The blonde-haired woman paid no notice or if she did, she simply chose not to. Her head rose to Danzou's eyes level.

"Well? What do you have to tell me?" asked Danzou. His voice was raspy and cold. Scorn and impatience filled in it.

"Danzou-sama…" the female ANBU started, "the girl's name is Sakura Haruno. She's integrated in Hokage's-sama team. She was found by the beach up in the north not too far away from Konoha with the leaf headband on her forehead," she stopped, and discreetly spared a worried look at her partner.

"That's it?" asked Danzou, his knuckles were white as he pressed his hold on the walking stick, "You have been following this girl for more than a week and _that's it_?"

"There is more," the male ANBU replied as he lazily stared in Danzou's direction, "Hokage-sama himself doesn't seem to know who she is. Jiraiya mysteriously disappeared two days ago only to return short after with Tsunade," the male ANBU stopped as Danzou eyes narrowed in further suspicion as the Sannin names were added, "Plus, we followed Tsunade and Jiraiya and the pink-haired girl… they seemed… to know each other, as if they were old friends,"

"Danzou-sama!" the blonde-haired female added, her voice now more clear, "In their conversation sir… the pink-haired girl when asked about her intentions she told Tsunade-sama that she was going to change the future,"

Danzou held his free hand in mid-air and stared at the two ANBU nins.

"The future?" he muttered, then his hand fell back to his side, "Carry on,"

The female ANBU nodded, "They also mentioned the Shichibi… it seemed as if Tsunade and Jiraiya's intention was to know more about the man who sealed the beast,"

"Interesting…" Danzou muttered quietly while he weighted the information in his head.

The two ANBU nins stared at each other for a brief second before returning their attention to Danzou. The male ANBU seemed oddly uncomfortable as he stood there waiting for further orders, for Danzou to speak. This whole mission seemed odd. Smelled strangely to his nose.

Why would Danzou require information about this girl? Why indeed right behind Namikaze's back. It seemed as if his partner shared his opinion, only that she didn't want to upset Danzou-sama. No one ever wanted to upset him. They knew… they heard stories.

"For now we'll merely watch… when the appropriate time arrives I want her… I want _this_ girl alive…" said Danzou as he turned his back on both ANBU nins, "Until then await for my orders,"

If the male ANBU had been suspicious of Danzou intentions now he knew perfectly well that the man was up to no good. He never wanted anyone alive.

* * *

Sakura looked up to the dark sky as she ran forwards; it was nowhere to be seen. There were no stars in the sky, just the dark boring sky.

A growl. An incredible loud growl echoed through the landscape.

She ran faster, her wounded legs ignoring the pain as she launched herself forward. Her emerald eyes were engrossed in what was ahead of her.

Suddenly, she felt her world crumble as she tripped and soared through the air – there was a throbbing insupportable pain in her foot and the breath was knocked from her as she landed face-down on the grass. Sakura cursed under her breathe and looked quickly behind, they were approaching her.

Clumsily and in pain, she finally managed to stand up, her frantic heart beat telling her to hurry up. Her trek forward to the bushes was awkward. Her ankle protested and her clothes felt heavy with the moisture from the ground, and she was tired; so tired. Sakura moved with a kind of resigned lurch, all of her hopes diminishing as time went by.

Sakura re-directed her gaze to what was ahead of her, but it was still rather difficult since there was almost no illumination around. After a while she arrived to what seemed to be some sort of a fence. The pink-haired girl reached it and flung herself upwards, driven more by fear than muscle.

However, it seemed that this day was not her lucky day. Gravity was not kind. Sakura found herself unable to move up, and unwilling to move down. She saw them getting closer; she could already hear their mocking laugher.

Sakura felt a firm and strong pair of hands grabbing her by the waist, throwing her without warning towards the ground. Her vision had become blurry and the pain in her head was too much to handle. She cried silently as he tied her hands to a cold chain.

"Stupid bitch," the man spat with a disgusted look on his face. She recognized him, it was Kyo.

"Got her?" A woman said as she approached them. Sakura could not see her face because of the darkness that was hiding her features. "Great, let's go then."

Kyo nodded and started to walk away. Sakura cried out as he yanked, hard, and dragged her. As they walked in silent, tears fell down her face; her emerald eyes stared above to the dark sky.

After some minutes, Sakura found herself surrounded by ANBU nins, all of their masks were blank. Some nodded and congratulated Kyo for catching her; others simply looked at her with a disgusted look on their faces.

"He will be pleased." A tall ANBU nin said as he eyed her.

Sakura was shaking, she didn't know if it was due to the cold weather or if it was due to the fact that she had been caught. Her fate, her life was threatened.

"Shh, quiet!" the female voice ordered as she glanced around. "Something… what the-"

"What? What is it?" Kyo asked walking closer to her.

"Quiet! Something is coming." She said calmly, though Sakura could not see her face, she knew the woman looked horrified. A terrifying expression took over Kyo as he dropped the chains and looked behind her.

Sakura smiled, her heart and heavy breath softened. She was saved. They had came, it finally came to her aid. Kakashi and Rin! She too turned around and her lips parted in surprise, her emerald eyes widened.

"S-S-Sasuke-kun?"

"Hello Sakura,"

Sakura bolted upwards with a gasp. Her green orbs immediately adjusted to the darkness of the room. Still gasping for air, she threw the blankets away and sat at the edge of her bed. Her shaking hands ran through her messy pink-hair as Sasuke's dark orbs still played in the back of her mind.

The dream had looked so frightening and so real.

Sakura shook her head as if she was shaking Sasuke's images out of her head. It didn't seem to work as she wanted. Sighing heavily, she stood up, her toes touching the cold floor. She didn't seem to mind it.

She opened the door of her room and stepped outside onto the hallway. She walked slowly and silently towards the kitchen. She knew the way by heart now.

As she got to the kitchen, she tensed up as she noticed the sitting silhouette by the kitchen table.

"Rin?" asked Sakura as she walked closer.

"Sakura-chan… oh… I-I didn't notice you," Rin answered and Sakura noticed the brunettes trembling voice.

"Is everything alright?" Sakura asked as she pulled a chair and sat down, her emerald eyes still adjusting to the darkness.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Rin answered, her lips twisted upwards in what could be assembled to a smile.

Sakura frowned, "Then why are you sitting in the dark?"

"I just… couldn't sleep," said Rin softly and Sakura nodded, nothing in the brunette's voice told Sakura the contrary, "You?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "the same,"

As they sat there, surrounded by the Kitchen's darkness and their comfortable silence, Sakura mind drifted away from her dream towards Rin.

Just how much did the pink-haired girl knew about Rin? All that she knew was that she was a shy girl, still scarred by the death of her team-mate. She lived with her twin brothers in a fairly big house…

Sakura eyes widened at that thought. What happened to Rin parents? She wanted to ask but no sound ever came out of her lips as she stared at the figure ahead. It wasn't her place to ask. Rin would eventually tell her if she wanted to… just as she did that day.

* * *

Two Weeks Later

* * *

"Hey guys, come on hurry up!" Sakura called impatiently over her shoulder. She stopped for a minute to glare at Kakashi, who was talking with Rin, "Guys!!"

"Hey! Sakura-chan is right! We're kind of hungry here!" Kenji called out as he stomped his foot on the floor.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Kenjiro quickly supported his twin as he too turned around to glare at his sister and Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed at the three of them impatience, his lazy eye stared at the hyperactive pink-haired girl and he wondered when she started to behave exactly like the twins.

"Calm down Kenji-kun," Rin said, smiling, "We're coming," She gave the silver-haired jounin a quick smile before picking up her pace.

Rin quickly placed herself at Sakura's side and they both laughed at the same time. Kakashi sighed as he noticed how close both girls were. He walked forwards, shoving his hands into his pockets and walked slowly after them, watching as they all smiled and talked with each other.

It looked as if the pink-haired girl had always belonged there, with them.

"You know that the food will go nowhere, right?" asked Kakashi as he too sped up as well, he pulled out one of his hands and messed Kenji's hair who grunted in displeasure, "I doubt that Minato-sensei is going to eat all the food,"

"Not Minato-sensei," said Kenjiro, his brown eyes facing Kakashi with terror, "But she will… she'll eat all the food,"

Sakura and Rin chuckled, "Kushina-san," they both said in unison as they watched the confused look on Kakashi's face.

"Oh," said Kakashi as everything fell into pieces, "What are we waiting for then!" he exclaimed as he started to walk in front of them, "_Hurry up_!"

Sakura laughed as everyone trotted behind Kakashi, scared that the food was all gone by now.

Meanwhile, a certain red-haired young woman surveyed the noodle stand with a large, beaming smile. Plopping herself down in the front section, she pounded the bell until it sounded as if it was drying.

"Raaaaaaameeeeeeen!" she sang with obvious delight, "Raaaaamennn… and it's all your treat, yuuuum yuuuuum!"

Kushina slowly turned halfway in her seat to glance at Minato, who was currently fighting off a smile. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and then softened as she smiled herself.

"I'm going to make you wish you never offered to treat me," she said, "are you aware that I eat a lot, aren't you?"

"Miso Ramen, please," said Minato to the young boy who had arrived. The boy nodded before hurrying back to the kitchen.

"Minato…" Kushina sighed as her eyes searched his bright blue ones.

"Hmm?" he absently answered her as he stared at her.

"T-thank you," Kushina noticed how taken aback he was with her soft voice.

"What?" Minato asked slightly puzzled with Kushina's sudden mood.

Kushina smiled nervously, "Y-you know… for everything," she said biting her lip, her head lowered and she stared at her hands that were on her lap.

Minato arched an eyebrow as he looked at the red-haired woman, "It's nothing…" he answered, lifting her chin so she could look at him, "You're leaving aren't you?"

Kushina eyes widened, she didn't expect him to arrive to that conclusion that soon. In fact, she was hoping that he would only find when she was already out of the Fire Country.

"H-hai… I've received direct orders to return home,"

"Stay,"

Kushina's heart broke into tiny pieces as he whispered that one word.

"Stay…" he repeated.

Her eyes saw the hurt and pleading look on his face.

"Stay here… with me… "

The red-haired young woman opened her mouth to answer.

"I… I…"

"HOKAGE-SAMA!!"

The two of them practically jumped from their seats as Kenji and Kenjiro ran toward them. Minato and Kushina nodded at each other as they silently promised to carry on the conversation later. The blonde-haired man then glanced behind the twins and smiled at the sight of his team.

It warmed his heart as he watched the silver-haired jounin in the middle of the two girls. Both Sakura and Rin seemed to be sharing a joke while Kakashi merely shook his head. It also amazed him, that the pink-haired girl was able to capture their hearts in such a short time.

It was as if she had always been there, as if she always belonged with them.

"Food!" Kushina exclaimed as the young boy placed the ramen bowl in front of her.

* * *

Sakura watched as Rin waved them good-bye and stepped inside the Konoha's hospital. A long sigh escaped her lips as she turned to Kakashi who stared down at her with the same sulking expression.

"I don't like this either," he told her as he started to walk away.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "You have won every single time so I thought you were enjoying it,"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, "At first, yes. Then I lost interest,"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, "Are you saying I'm that bad?" the pink-haired girl stomped her right foot on the floor as Kakashi slowly turned around.

"What? You don't know the answer yourself?" he asked mockingly.

"That's it! You're _dead_!"

**Ten Minutes Later**

"C'mon, say it," Kakashi taunted.

"Bugger off," Sakura snapped, refusing to look at him.

"Say it, Sakura," he repeated, an obnoxious grin on his face, though she couldn't quite see it as his mask concealed most of his emotions.

"No," she cried in frustration.

"Say it with me, Sakura. _I'm that bad_!," he said, his smile growing.

"Stop being so childish," she retorted.

"You know you would be doing the same thing if you were in my shoes," he commented, "the _champion_… remember?" he added sarcastically.

"I'd rather die!" she retorted as she tried to squeeze her way out of his strong grasp.

The brittle words echoed through the field, carrying with them a mixture of hassle and frustration. For a moment, neither said anything more.

"Well?" the silver-haired jounin prompted in a hiss, looking down at the pink-haired girl he'd straddled with his knees. Her jade-green eyes narrowed at his question.

Sakura who was pinned to the floor by the masked nin and a rather impressive array of kunai knives, squirmed slightly under his tight grip.

"You're not going anywhere," he told her, enjoying the wrinkles on her forehead as she glared at him.

He knew he was pushing it. That she would probably snap at him and punch him into the next world. However, he kept his grip on her strong. He liked the way her lips pressed together in a thin line as she controlled herself not to explode. The way her emerald eyes threatened to kill him as soon as he let her go.

"Please, humor me?" he begged.

"NO!" she yelled.

"I'll shut up if you just say it," Kakashi offered.

Sakura stopped in her tracks and so did he. She stared at him down for a few minutes., then sighed and after a pause, she gave in. The offer that Kakashi might be quiet for a while was too good to pass up.

"I'm that bad…" she muttered sourly.

"Sorry, didn't quite hear that," he said, cupping a hand to his ear with an insufferable grin on his face.

"I'm that bad!" she repeated, grinding her teeth.

"Ah, there we go, Sakura. That was music to my ears," he said happily, strolling off her.

"You're such an immature prat," she spat, ignoring his helping hand.

"Want to go for one more round?" asked Kakashi as he ignored her bad humor.

"No," she answered, crossing her arms around her chest.

Kakashi chuckled, "Hey… let's go for an ice cream,"

Sakura turned to look at him with a huge grin plastered in her face, "Really?" she beamed as Kakashi nodded his head.

"Yep,"

"Yatta!" Sakura jumped and punched the air.

"You've to stop to hang around the twins," said Kakashi as they walked away from the training field.

Sakura shook her head, "Rin is always so busy with the hospital so I offered to train them when they come home from the academy,"

Kakashi looked at her, "You've been training them?" she nodded in response, "What for?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "They said they wanted to be the best… why?" she asked as Kakashi narrowed his eye.

"It's just that… they have never showed interest in learning how to fight properly… just weird," added Kakashi as they turned left to one of the most crowded streets of Konoha.

Sakura smiled, "You know, Kenjiro is actually pretty good. He seems to be able to read some of my attacks,"

Kakashi snorted, "Anyone is able to read your attacks,"

Sakura didn't react. She was used to Kakashi's remarks by now. In fact she actually thought that some of them were quite entertaining. She knew he didn't actually meant what he said, it was as if those remarks were some kind of a barrier he build. Why? She wasn't yet completely sure.

"Ice creaaaam!" sang Sakura as she stopped in front of a small ice-cream shop. She eyed the flavors.

Strawberry… _Nop_. Mint… _Nop_. Vanilla… hmmm maybe… _Nop_… what about… chocolate!!

"Chocolate ice-cream please!" said Sakura as she clapped in a girlish manner. Then she looked at Kakashi as he placed a few coins on the counter, "Aren't you going to have an ice-cream too?"

"No, I don't really like ice-cream," he told her simply.

"Wha-what?" she asked stupidly, "B-but… I feel bad! At least let me pay for my ice-cream," a sudden blush took over her cheeks as the woman from the ice-cream shop picked up the coins.

"I already paid for it," said Kakashi, arching a curious eyebrow as Sakura cheeks reddened.

"Oh well…" she turned her back on him and accepted the ice-cream.

_Oh Kami… why am I blushing… stop it already! _Sakura thought as she pressed her lips to the ice-cream.

* * *

"And then you should have seen me! I totally nailed that test and Kikyo-sensei was really surprised with my progresses and then I told her I had been practicing and she was even more surprised!" Kenjiro spilled out and took a deep breathe. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the pink-haired girl who didn't pay attention to a single word he had said.

"Sakura-chan!? Are you still with me?" Kenjiro asked sharply.

"Huh?" Sakura said stupidly.

Kenji who had been at his brother side the whole time rolled his eyes, "If you're done staring at Kakashi, then maybe we can go and pick nee-san…"

Sakura mouth opened in shock, her emerald eyes threw a couple of invisible shuriken at Kenji.

"I was not staring at _him_!" she snapped.

"Right, well, nee-san?" he reminded her.

"Where were you boys anyway?" she questioned, watching as Kakashi helped an old woman with her shopping bags.

She couldn't stop blushing at the thought that Kakashi had offered himself to pay her an ice-cream. She knew it was stupid but she couldn't help it. It was as if someone else was inside her own body whenever she thought about it. She glanced at the silver-haired jounin and smiled as the old woman struggled to give him a hug.

"So are we going or not?" Kenji asked as he sighed in exasperation. He eyed the pink-haired girl and rolled his eyes. _Jeez what's with girls?_ He thought bitterly, then a smile crawled in his features.

"Hey, Sakura-chan… you and Kakashi make a nice couple,"

Kenjiro gasped, expecting to see his twin beaten to a pulp anytime soon.

"Hmm?" Sakura asked, "Didn't hear you."

"Nothing," Kenji answered, still smiling.

Kenjiro let out a sigh in relief.

* * *

**Next Chapter Review**

She stared down at the dark-haired boy, her eyes widened in shock, her trembling hands held his.

The boy looked at the strange pink-haired girl, his onyx eyes bored into her scared ones, "My name is Itachi,"

Sakura looked surprised at how his voice sounded so soft, so innocent, so… childish. Nodding slowly, she forced a secure smile on her pale features, "Nice to meet you… Itachi-kun,"

"Itachi!"

"Mom!"

The dark-haired woman stared at the pink-haired girl and bowed in a respectful manner, "Thank you,"

* * *

A/N: **Okay, so lets speculate a little shall we? I have no idea how old was Itachi before the Kyuubi attacked the village, but I do have a hunch that he was still a toddler. What do you guys think? It's really important, because I want this storyline to work as much as possible so if you have an idea, please please let me know! **

And about this chapter, I wanted to focus mainly on the trio relation ship. How Sakura is adapting to her new life and how they see her. Kakashi and Sakura are getting closer!!

If you could drop a Review, it'd be great.

As always, thanks for reading!


	12. Doze

**Flaming Heart**

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs entirely to Masashi Kishimoto. This fan fiction is only pure entertainment with no intentions to infringe any copyrights.

**A/N:** Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Many of you agreed that Itachi was a toddler before the Kyuubi attack so I will stick with that. Itachi is four-years-old which means that Sasuke has not been born yet (which is of course highly convenient if I want the story line to make any sense at all, lol)

Ohhh I almost forgot! A big thanks to Little Shiro who has made a small uhm 'trailer' of this story. If you're curious to see how it looks like check the link on my profile!

* * *

There he was sitting quietly on the soft sand completely marveled as his onyx eyes watched the other children play. He took in every aspect of the scene in front of him. The way the small girl laughed as his older brother made funny faces. The way two boys ran around the park, their expressions filled with pure happiness. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

He wasn't like the other children. He often heard those words from his father. He was special. He was an Uchiha.

Of course, he did not understand the deep meaning behind those words. He limited himself to smile at his father serious expression as his mother often stuck her tongue out behind his father back.

He looked behind and watched his mother smile at the other woman. They had been engaged in a conversation for what seemed to be hours. He was starting to get cranky and he wanted to go home. He slowly stood up and walked towards his mother when he saw it, a small puppy outside the park.

A soft sound of happiness escaped his lips as his dark eyes brightened up. He glanced back to his mother and then back to the puppy. Quickly, he walked past his mother who did not notice his presence, made his way forward, and crossed the street.

* * *

Everyone remained in silence as they all stared at the blonde-haired man innocent smile.

"A mission?" asked Kakashi, as he glanced sideways. Rin smiled encouragingly while Sakura simply showed no interest at all.

"Yes a mission," replied Minato, narrowing his blond eyebrows as he watched the three teenagers in front of him.

"But sensei, Sakura progresses-" Kakashi paused, feeling the pink-haired girl murderous glare on him, "well to be honest she has been improving slightly but-"

"You will carry on with her training afterwards," said Minato cutting the silver-haired nin off with a small smile adorning his tired features, "The purpose of this mission is to see how well you'll do when it comes to team work,"

Sakura's head snapped towards Minato as she noticed the slender change in his voice. She met his bright-blue eyes and a wave of warmth ran through her veins. She could read the approval glint in his eyes. The sides of her rosy lips twisted upwards in a shy smile.

They have accepted her as one of their own.

"Well what is this mission about?" asked Kakashi as he looked at the pink-haired girl from the corner of his eye. She had a silly smile plastered on her features.

"Right," said Minato as he walked back to his desk. He separated a few sheets of papers and kept them away in the drawer, leaving only a small map on the table, "Gather around, please,"

The three teenagers gathered and leaned forward so they could have a good view on the map.

Minato's finger pointed to the sand country, "Right, listen up," everyone remained silent waiting for the blond to carry on, "A few years ago, a very important scroll disappeared from our coffers. One of our informers has tracked down the scroll and it seems that it's in the hand of Suna feudal lord,"

Kakashi raised his head and stared at his sensei, "You expect _us_ to break through his guard?" Kakashi sounded a bit skeptical.

Minato smiled softly, "I have total confidence in your abilities to lead the team,"

Kakashi looked slightly taken back with his sensei words. Sakura snorted quietly earning a glare from the silver-haired jounin. Rin bit her lip nervously.

Missions always made her nervous. The brunette girl was always scared to do something wrong and she always tried too hard to prove Kakashi that she was a big girl that could take care of herself, that she did not need his constant protection.

"When are we leaving?" asked Sakura ignoring Kakashi's glare.

"Today," said Minato as he folded the map and handed it over to Kakashi, "Try to avoid fighting at all costs. The main purpose of this mission is to break through their defenses without being noticed,"

"Hai," said Sakura as she nodded her head. She was feeling extremely happy as she was standing there in the Hokage office with them.

Her team.

Her friends.

"Alright," Minato added as he offered his students a wide smile, "Dismissed,"

The three bid Yondaime good-bye and turned their back on him, walking towards the door.

Rin closed the door behind them and stared at her two walking teammates. Sakura and Kakashi walked side by side, bickering, as always.

She smiled softly as she recalled their murderous glares at each other when they first met. The fire on the pink-haired kunoichi whenever Kakashi opened his mouth to spat his usual self-remarks. The way the silver-haired jounin lazy eye hardened whenever she bit something back at him.

Now, they still argued all right. However, it was different.

Sakura always had a smile glued to her face and Kakashi voice was softer than usual.

"Hey Rin! Are you coming or what?"

Rin snapped from her thoughts and stared at her two friends. They had stopped in the middle of the corridor and both were curiously staring at her. A slight blush took over her cheeks as she ran towards them.

A loud yawn escaped Sakura lips as they stepped outside the Hokage tower. She turned to Kakashi and smiled innocently. The silver-haired jounin raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Well…" Sakura started as she placed herself between Rin and Kakashi, "How about we all take a small nap before we take off?"

Kakashi rolled his eye while Rin chuckled.

"Sounds like a good idea, Sakura-chan," said Rin as she looked up at the pink-haired girl, "That way I can prepare some dinner to the boys,"

"Okay," Kakashi said absentmindedly, "Let's meet at the gates after dinner,"

"Hai!" said Sakura as her mouth opened in another yawn.

Kakashi frowned as he looked at Sakura. She did look tired, "Make sure you do take a nap," he told her in a warning tone.

Sakura smiled softly and nodded, "I will,"

* * *

A few hours later

* * *

The full moon watched the three sprinting figures run across the forest. The small animals quickly hid themselves as they ran by.

Kakashi and Rin suddenly came to a stop; they traded worried looks, as the pink-haired girl was still catching up to them. The silver-haired jounin glanced at his team-mate for an explanation. However, Rin refused to look at Kakashi. She bit her lip and started to swing her foot nervously.

"She did take a nap, didn't she?" Kakashi asked, sighing loudly.

Rin gave him a small nervous smile and shook her head, "She… hasn't been able to sleep lately," Kakashi eyed her with a bored expression waiting for her to carry on, "She… she screams at night…," Rin looked up to Kakashi, her brown eyes pleadingly, "Kakashi-kun, I'm worried about her,"

"We should ask her what's wrong," he told Rin as he stared ahead at Sakura who was practically dragging herself forward.

Sakura looked towards Kakashi, a small apologetic smile adorning her features. She shuddered at the thought that she was delaying her team… _just like old days, huh?, _thought Sakura as she forced herself forward.

"No!" Rin exclaimed, her brown eyes flashing worry, "Please, Kakashi-kun! Sakura-chan made me promise that I would keep it a secret,"

Kakashi groaned inwardly, "We camp here for the night," said Kakashi as Sakura finally reached them. Sakura opened her mouth to apologize but Kakashi hand cut her off, "save it," he snapped as he dropped his bag to the floor.

Rin sighed at the suffocating tension that claimed the air they breathed.

Sakura closed her eyes softly as her whole body cried for rest. She did not even realize her knees had given up, only when her face collided with something hard. The ground.

"Sakura-chan!" Rin exclaimed worriedly as she fell down next to the unconscious pink-haired girl.

"Rin…" Kakashi placed a firm hand on the brunette's shoulder, "Go ahead, take care of her… I'll take the first shift,"

Kakashi sat down, his back leaning to a tree. He watched as Rin improvised a bed made of leaves and laid Sakura down. Rin sat next to the pink-haired girl and she too drifted off to sleep. Kakashi sighed as he stared at the full moon. Sakura was still a big question mark to him.

Kakashi eye moved back towards the sleeping pink-haired girl who seemed to be trembling. He noticed that Rin had woken up. The brunette placed a soothing hand on Sakura's forehead and slowly caressed Sakura's cheek with her other hand.

"Shhh, it's alright," said Rin as her brown eyes met Kakashi's.

"Nightmares?" questioned Kakashi as he stood up and walked towards the girls.

"Hai," answered Rin, her voice above a whisper.

"Does… does she talk under her sleep?" asked Kakashi as he leaned forward.

Rin eyed widened, "I… I don't know,"

"Sakura…" Kakashi called Sakura's name softly, "Sakura… what's wrong?"

"I don't think she-"

"He's here…" said Sakura as she trembled slightly. Her eyes were still firmly closed.

Both Kakashi and Rin eyes widened in surprise.

"Who is?" asked Kakashi as he eyed the pink-haired girl.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's body trembled more violently, "No… please… I… don't… leave me-"

"I think that's enough," said Rin as she glared at Kakashi who had opened his mouth to say something.

Kakashi closed his mouth and nodded slowly. His mind groaned in protest, as he wanted to know what she was dreaming about and more importantly who was this… Sasuke.

* * *

A tall figure stood hidden by the shadows between the tall and silent trees. His blonde hair moved along with the soft breeze, his head was turned to the dark sky where the stars were lying and shinning down on him. The full orange-reddish full moon was high in the sky illuminating his surroundings as much as the stars were. The man deep blue eyes stared wonderingly to the mysterious moon.

Something in the air that night kept whispering soft warnings to his ears. Something deep inside of him was keeping him uneasy, warily to everything and everyone as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Because, he knew something was about to happen. He just couldn't press his finger at what exactly was going to happen, but he knew. The deepness of his soul screamed at the top of his lungs that it wasn't something good.

"Minato?" a voice whispered from behind him.

He didn't need to turn around to see who it was, "It's coming," he told her quietly. His voice was calm and smooth. His blue eyes still set on the stars.

The young woman placed herself at his left side, her hand searched for his and she held tightly to it. Her eyes travelled towards the same stars he was staring at.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he answered promptly, "But whatever it is that is coming… it's dangerous."

The young woman turned her head towards him. Her eyes were filled with worry, "Let's hope that you're wrong," she told him softly.

"Hai," he answered as he slowly turned to look down at her. He offered her a weak smile and pushed the red-haired woman to his chest. She looked surprised at him. He hugged her tightly and she hesitantly hugged him back.

His hug seemed so different from all the others. It had a hint of urge in it. The hair of the back of her neck stood up as an odd thought crossed her mind. The hug felt more like a good-bye of some sorts. She shook her head, shrugging the bad feeling away.

"Are you worried about them?" Kushina asked as she studied the blond-haired man features.

His blue eyes looked down at the red-haired woman, "No, I'm sure they'll be fine this time,"

Kushina nodded and smiled, "Yeah, besides if something happens we just have to save their butts again,"

"Mhhmm," Minato smiled at the hyperactive woman and slowly pulled her towards him, "Let's go back inside," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, let's do that," she said as a small smile graced her beautiful features.

* * *

Sakura eyes snapped open and slowly adjusted her blurred vision to her surroundings. She noticed Rin's sleeping form right next to her and smiled softly at the peaceful expression on the brunette's expression. Then, she slowly stood up, making sure she was careful enough not to wake up Rin.

She spotted the silver-haired jounin sitting with his back leaning against a tree. She watched as he yawned deeply, though all that could be seen was the stretch of his mask.

"Hey," she greeted as she sat next to him, "I'll take this shift," she offered him a small smile.

"No," he simply answered not bothering to look at her. Sakura stiffened at the harsh tone of his voice.

"B-but your obviously tired-"

"We heard you…" said Kakashi interrupting her. Sakura eyes widened at his words. Surprise crossed her pale features, "What is it? What is bothering you?" he turned to look at her, his eye stare directly to her emerald ones.

"What?" Sakura asked, feeling a knot on her stomach, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

Kakashi rolled his eye, "Who is this Sasuke?"

Sakura jaw dropped, her heart compressed tightly. She knew by the tone of Kakashi voice that he would not let this subject go that easily.

Kakashi noticed the mist of surprise and hurt on her facial expression, "Sakura… you can tell me," his hand caught her slightly trembling one.

The pink-haired girl looked quite surprised at his soft touch. She gulped and avoided his eye.

"We were like a family... we were… very different from each other," Sakura smiled at the irony of talking about _them_ with Kakashi. She had never spoke with her sensei about how she felt. It was a taboo topic, "there was Naruto, Sasuke and me,"

Kakashi nodded slowly and remained in silence.

"N-Naruto… despite all the awful things he went through, h-he always had a smile on his face reserved for others… reserved f-for me," Sakura bit her lip as tears stung her eyes. She turned her face to the other side, hiding her tears from the silver-haired jounin, "Then there was Sasuke… h-he was blind with vengeance… and and one day-" a sob escaped her mouth as Orochimaru face played on her mind, "one day he… he left us in search f-for more power. He left us… Naruto and I…"

Sakura knew that Kakashi was probably confused, but she also knew that she could not tell him every detail.

"So what happened to this… Naruto?" asked Kakashi as he squeezed her hand tightly.

Sakura took a deep breath and slowly turned her head to look at her future sensei, "I… I don't know," Kakashi raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Please let's just forget about this…"

Kakashi sighed and nodded, "You must really miss them," he whispered softly as his black eye locked with her teary green ones.

Sakura offered him a small smile, "Yeah… terribly,"

Kakashi smiled back, "Yeah…"

"Kakashi?" Sakura asked softly as she wiped her tears.

"Hmmm?" he asked back.

"Can I have my hand back?" Sakura asked in a playful tone and squeezed the silver-haired nin hand.

"Oh! Sorry," said Kakashi as he let go her hand. He could feel his cheeks burn.

Sakura giggled quietly and Kakashi shot her a confused look.

"You were blushing weren't you?" asked Sakura with a wide grin plastered on her face.

Kakashi blinked, "W-what?" he asked completely taken back. His blush deepened.

"Never mind… it's just that your mask stretches differently when you smile like that… as if you were blushing and smiling shyly," Sakura stopped and looked at Kakashi stupefied expression. Suddenly, she started to laugh, her both hands covering her mouth in order not to wake up Rin. The thought of her sensei blushing… it was crazy!

Kakashi groaned in exasperation as he looked at the laughing pink-haired girl. She could be so… annoying! His cheeks burned with more intensity and he sighed. At least she was laughing. Besides, her laugher sounded almost musical. He liked that.

"Shhhhh!"

Both Kakashi and Sakura turned around to stare at a very concentrated Rin. The brunette girl had her eyes wide open and she was sitting on the floor leaning forward as if she was trying to listen to something else. Immediately Kakashi stood up and he too became serious. Sakura bit her lip as she stared at her teammates when suddenly she heard it too.

A faint cry reached her ears brought by the gentle breeze. Sakura shivered slightly, it sounded awfully like a child's cry.

"Should we go see what is it?" asked Sakura as she too stood up.

"I don't think we should," Kakashi answered as he picked his backpack up, "we should cross the forest during the day and the desert at night," he added as he looked at both girls who had their arms crossed around their chest and a look on their eyes that was clearly not a friendly one.

"I think we should check what it is, Kakashi-kun," said Rin as Sakura gave her a supporting smile.

"I agree with Rin," said Sakura as she gave Kakashi a victory smile.

Kakashi sighed and rolled his eye, "Of course you do," he muttered under his breath, "Right, if we're going to do this it's better if we split up,"

Sakura nodded, "faster that way,"

"We'll meet here to report?" asked Rin earning two nods of approval from her teammates.

"Right! See you later!" said Sakura as she jumped upwards to a tree limb.

The gentle breeze turned to a stronger one. Sakura narrowed her eyes as she knew that the weather was about to change drastically. She then cursed under her breath as soft droplets of rain started to fall. They came down slowly at first as if it was a kind warning to what was coming next.

Sakura jumped down to the ground as the rain increased. She focused on her surroundings, tried to spot anything that indicated that someone was nearby but she could not see anything at all.

"Hello?" she called out softly, not sure, if she was doing the wise thing. If it happened to be a hostile nin she was clearly giving her whereabouts away. She was an easy target.

As Sakura prepared to turn left, she heard the noise of broken twigs. Her heart stopped frozen on the spot and she held her breathe only to let it out a few seconds later as she caught the sight of a small fox leaving the small bushes.

"Don't scare me like that," said Sakura as the fox passed by her completely ignoring me.

"M-m-mommy?"

Sakura quickly turned around, her green orbs widened as she spotted a small boy hiding between the bushes. Her lips parted in both surprise and relief.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed softly as she stepped forward, her hand stretched towards the boy. He gasped and hid himself further in the bushes.

Sakura bit her lip. She knew that they were not too far away from Konoha. Nevertheless, what was this child doing all alone in here? More importantly how did he manage to pass by gatekeepers?

"Hi…" said Sakura in what she hoped to be a friendly voice, "Where are your parents?"

The boy peeked through the bushes taking in her features. She seemed friendly. His dark eyes spotted the headband on her forehead. His cousin had the same headband.

"Are you lost?" Sakura asked when the boy offered her no answer, "Are you from Konoha?"

The boy quietly stepped forward, leaving the safeness of the bushes. He then nodded quietly. Sakura gave him a reassuring smile and stretched her hand.

He eyed her gloved hand and slowly stretched his own. Sakura smile widened as he held her hand.

"I'm Sakura, what's your name?"

Her smile faltered slightly as she spotted the Uchiha symbol on the boy's t-shirt. She studied his face, his eyes, and his nose… and his lips. Sakura shook her head and gulped, she stared down at the dark-haired boy, her eyes widened in shock, her trembling hands held his.

The boy looked at the strange pink-haired girl, his onyx eyes bored into her scared ones, "My name is Itachi,"

Sakura looked surprised at how his voice sounded so soft, so innocent, so… childish. Nodding slowly, she forced a secure smile on her pale features, "Nice to meet you… Itachi-kun,"

The boy nodded and gave her a small smile. Sakura found herself smiling back, the accelerate rhythm of her heart slowed down. Her head stopped screaming and she was now thinking clearly.

"Let's get you home, shall we?" she asked him in a cheerful tone.

There was no reason to be so stiff around the boy. Sure, he was Sasuke's brother, the man she heard so many awful things about. But right now, he was still a child, he had no stain of blood on his hands.

"H-hai!" said Itachi as he walked next to the pink-haired girl.

Sakura stopped and so did Itachi. He looked up to the kunoichi with curiosity. A soft sigh escaped her lips as Sakura debated with herself whether she should return to the meeting point or not. Shrugging, she decided that it would be a lot faster if she simply went ahead. Returning to the meeting point to report and then head towards Konoha sure would take her more time.

"Hey, how about a piggy-back ride?" asked Sakura as she crouched on the floor. Itachi did not answer but simply accepted her suggestion.

As he placed himself secured on her back, the pink-haired girl noticed the few scratches on his legs.

"So tell me Itachi-kun, how did you get so far away from home?" asked Sakura as she carefully stood up.

"I was following Oki,"

"Oki?" asked Sakura as she slowly gained more speed.

"My puppy," answered Itachi in a sad tone, "He disappeared,"

Sakura fought back a smile. Who would have thought that Itachi was such an adorable child?

Almost four hours later, Itachi was sleeping and Sakura was now carrying him through the forest. She recognized the landscape now. They were close. Sighing, she allowed more chakra in her feet and gained more speed. She now fully regretted not reporting. She could already see Kakashi with his hands deep in his pocket, his dark eye murdering her with invisible shuriken.

She finally came to a stop as she stopped in front of the gates.

"We're here," said Sakura as she gently woke up the sleeping boy and placed him on the floor.

"Hn," the boy nodded and looked up to the strange pink-haired girl, "Arigatou," he whispered still sleepily.

"I'll walk you home," said Sakura as she offered him her hand. Itachi sleepily took her hand and led the way. Sakura knew the way to the Uchiha compound from the bottom of her heart but she thought it was for the best if the boy showed her the way.

They turned left and walked through the deserted streets. The sun was almost up. Sakura bit her lip trying to ignore the knot on her stomach. She needed to hurry back. They turned left again and Sakura gulped as she spotted a group of people.

"Itachi!"

"Mom!"

Everyone stopped talking and stared towards Sakura who wanted to dig a hole and hide. She could not actually believe that there were so many Uchiha's right in front of her. Her heart thumped strongly against her chest as a dark-haired woman made her way through the large group of people.

"Itachi!"

Sakura freed Itachi's hand and he ran towards his mother. She smiled softly at the scene in front of her. She was looking at Sasuke's mother.

The dark-haired woman stared at the pink-haired girl and bowed in a respectful manner, "Thank you,"

Sakura nodded, not being able to shrug away the uncomfortable feeling. Then, when she prepared herself to leave, Sakura emerald eyes moved towards Itachi's mother stomach.

Her eyes widened slightly.

_Tsunade-sama… please hurry…_

* * *

Rin closed her lips tightly. She knew that nothing she said would make his anger disappear. The sun was already high in the sky as if it was pushing Kakashi further, provoking him, mocking him.

She also knew that Kakashi was as worried as she was.

"We should head back and-" Rin never got to finish what she was about to say. Kakashi furious glare immediately shut her up.

"And what? Explain that we lost her?" Kakashi replied slightly annoyed, "You know this is your fault,"

Rin gasped, "Why is this my fault?" she asked slightly angered by his accusations. Her brown eyes fought back tears.

Kakashi snorted, "You!" he exclaimed, "You wanted to go check what the sound was! Only Kami knows what-"

"HEY!" a loud voice echoed behind them. Sakura immediately stopped on her tracks as both Kakashi and Rin turned their heads to meet her. Rin opened her mouth slightly and tears fell freely down her pale features. A loud sob reached Sakura ears and a cold feeling traveled down her spine.

"Where were you?!" demanded Kakashi as he took a step towards her. His eye twitched angrily.

"I… I…" Sakura stuttered but then controlled herself, "It was a small child… I ran back to Konoha with the boy and-"

"AND WHAT HAPPENED TO REPORTING BACK?" both Sakura and Rin jumped startled with Kakashi's yelling.

Sakura looked down to the ground feeling completely guilty. She never had heard Kakashi yell before and she was sure that she did not want to ever again. It scared her.

"I'm sorry…" said Sakura not looking at him. She couldn't.

"Sakura-chan…" Rin kind and sobbing voice broke through Sakura defenses, "We were worried... p-please don't do that again,"

Sakura nodded slowly still not daring to look at them.

"Whatever…" Kakashi whispered as he turned his back on them. He picked his backpack and jumped to a tree limb. He then allowed himself to sigh in relief.

_She's here now… She's okay…_

* * *

The sun rose high over the bleak desert landscape, the radiation from the sun alone could boil ones blood and heat up the skin to unbearable temperatures. A warm breeze blew across the vast and desolate grounds gently pushing the hair of the three teenagers out of their faces.

Sakura groaned. Every step she took forward she could feel the sweat run down her forehead. She glanced over the silver-haired nin who was still sulking. Rin had long forgiven her but it seemed like Kakashi was not letting it go that soon.

"Rin, would you mind asking Kakashi, what happened to the idea of crossing the desert during the night?"

"Uh, I guess so. Kakashi-kun, Sakura-chan wants to-"

"What, are you not talking to me anymore?" Kakashi asked, smirking as he saw the disbelief look on the pink-haired girl face. He enjoyed going on her nerves.

"Rin, tell Kakashi that he's the one that wasn't talking to me," said Sakura, glaring at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-kun, Sakura-chan's not-"

"Rin, tell Sakura, that she is being really immature,"

"Sakura-chan, Kakashi-kun says that you're-"

"Tell Kakashi-baka that he is being just as immature by not stopping the contest."

"Kakashi-kun-"

"Tell Sakura that we're crossing the desert now, because of her,"

"Tell Kakashi that his plan is just plain stupid,"

"It's just plain stupid but it seems to be working,"

"I already apologized,"

"I don't need your apologies,"

"Guys-"

"RIN, SHUT UP!" both Kakashi and Sakura exploded at her at the same time. She shrank back, "Gomenasai!" she stammered as a small smile played in her lips.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is the result of a huge writer block. I hope you still enjoyed it though. **


	13. Treze

**Flaming Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only wish I did!

A/N: Yatta! Thanks everyone for the reviews! Here it is the thirtheen chappie, I hope you all like it.

* * *

It was so cold, so cold that any ordinary person would have died of hypothermia. However, he was no ordinary person.

In fact, it was the cold that brought him back to consciousness. As the tall boy opened his eyes, he realized that he had been stripped of his clothing, shoes, and katana. He was wearing instead a thin, sack-like shirt with too short trousers. The cot he lay on was hard, the thin sheets providing no warmth.

He reached out and slid his fingertips across a nearby slab of stone a previous tenant had carved with deep tally marks. The tallies started in an orderly fashion, long and straight. After about thirteen marks, the order began to fade, becoming progressively erratic and jagged. There were so many marks that they continued onto the next slab of stone, but all sense of order had vanished by this point. The tallies had become wild scratches and gouges across the rock, no longer a record of anything at all.

Suddenly he felt a deeper chill pass through him as the door to his cell opened, a white light invaded his dark space, revealing two tall nins.

His dark eyes surveyed them carefully. There… he spotted their headbands. Now he had a small clue of where he was.

"Suna…" his lips moved but no sound ever came. His throat was dry and rough. He had not drunk water for days.

"Heh… I'm going to enjoy this," one of the nin said as he made his way forward.

The prisoner smirked as he carefully watched both nins approach him.

* * *

The silver-haired jounin chuckled nervously as he stared at the both girls fierce glare. Kakashi ran a hand through his spiky silver hair as at the same time he decided it was for his own good to step back a little.

"So _Mr-we-cross-the-desert-now_ how are we supposed to pass by them?" Sakura asked, her voice clearly mocking him.

"Two Suna nins…" said Rin, sighing softly, "there is no way we can cross the gates without drawing any attention towards us."

"We will wait until the sun goes down," said Kakashi as he eyed the sky. The sun was hiding between the clouds and there was still a long way until nightfall.

"I have a feeling that they will tighten up the security by night," said Sakura, her eyebrows pushing together.

Rin nodded in agreement, "Then we are going to need a decoy,"

Sakura pressed her lips together; her emerald eyes stared at her two teammates. Rin was chewing her lower lip; her brown eyes fixed on the silver-haired boy. Kakashi's hands were hiding inside his dark navy pants pockets. His uncovered eye was fixed on the desert sand.

Suddenly, like a thunder comes without warning, Sakura eyes widened and the corner of her lips twisted upwards.

"I've got it!" she announced happily as she stared at her wonderingly friends, "I have an idea. It's not the best but I think it might actually work," she added, clapping her hands in a girlish manner.

Kakashi eyebrow raised in expectation while Rin remained quiet chewing her lower lip like she always did when she felt nervous.

"Okay, listen up," Sakura stepped forward, a smile gracing her pale features, "Have you ever heard of a courier ninja?"

Kakashi stared at the pink-haired girl as if she was mad.

"Hai, it's like a postman isn't it?" Rin asked.

Sakura nodded, "Something of the sorts, yes,"

"Well that's nice and all but I can't really see your point," said Kakashi, sighing deeply.

Sakura rolled her eyes and ignored him, "Illusions plus courier nin-"

"Equals to a decoy!" said Rin, her lips parted and formed a knowing smile.

"That way, you will be able to approach them easily," Kakashi nodded as he stared at Sakura. A small smile formed underneath his mask as he admitted to himself that the pink-haired girl was actually quite useful.

"That's right!" Sakura exclaimed. She flashed them a wide grin. Sakura had been waiting for an opportunity to make up to them for what happened two days ago and here was her chance.

Quickly, she placed her hands together and immediately performed the hand seals.

"Ohhhh!" exclaimed Rin as her mouth formed an 'o' in astonishment.

"Well? How do I look?" asked Sakura as she straightened herself.

"Like a courier ninja," replied Kakashi, "Now listen up," he added as he pulled the map from his backpack, "Sakura after you put those two nin unconscious, Rin will also use an illusion to disguise herself as one of the guards along with one of my clones,"

Both girls nodded quietly as Kakashi unfolded the map, "Then Sakura and I will proceed west, towards the feudal lord compound. If we're not back in one hour," Kakashi stopped and turned his head to stare at Rin, "You go straight back to Konoha,"

Rin eyes widened, "But-"

"No buts, you will do what you've been ordered to," said Kakashi, his voice left no more room for arguments. Rin brown eyes searched for Sakura's support but the pink-haired girl only offered her a comforting smile.

* * *

A tall pink-haired young woman vigilantly walked through the dark corridors; she walked fast and silently and looked behind her shoulder very often to make sure she was not being followed. Sakura turned left to a much darker corridor and she had no choice but to use a small lantern.

Sakura sighed in relief as she glanced at the metal door that was right in front of her. The door was wide open as if it was inviting her to step inside.

Slowly she retrieved a kunai and held tightly to it, her emerald eyes were fixed on the door only. Her pale features twisted in concentration. She strained herself to hear any possible sound that could eventually come from the room.

She bit her lip as she stepped forwards. Sakura wished that Kakashi had not agreed with her idea of splitting up. They had separated as soon as they managed to sneak inside the building. So far, she had been lucky; she had not spotted a guard or anyone at all. Even though, she was feeling quite lucky, she was also feeling rather nervous.

Had she been spotted and the enemy were hiding themselves for an opportunity to strike? Slowly, Sakura shook her head, shrugging away the paranoid thoughts.

She gulped as she stared at the opened metal door. This was it. The scroll was inside.

Sakura took a deep breathe as her right foot stepped inside the dark room. Her lantern illuminated a small part of the room. Sakura glanced at the room, which seemed to have been a victim of a war field. There were countless of guards bodies spread around the floor. A few weapons which were still stained with fresh blood were mercilessly stuck in their bodies. Sakura nose wrinkled at the horrible smell.

Her eyes fell on the small safe that was standing on the square table. It was open. Someone had intentionally left the safe open. Why? Sakura's form immediately tensed as the hair of her neck stood up.

"Seems I got here first," the voice seemed highly entertained.

Sakura quickly spun around, the kunai was ready in her hand, her legs spread and she adopted a defense posture. However, she slowly allowed herself to relax as she stared at what seemed to be no one other than Kakashi.

"Impressive," said Kakashi, his hands played with what seemed to be the scroll.

"What the hell happened here?" She asked as she crouched next to one of the bodies. She could tell by the smell and the now purplish cuts that the carnage had happened a few hours ago.

"I have no idea," Kakashi answered, placing the scroll inside his backpack. He eyed the pink-haired girl expression grow paler. Her emerald eyes widened slightly, a pure shocking expression stamped on her face. However, she regained her previous posture as if nothing had happened.

Sakura slowly stood up. She could not believe it. Her mind… it had to be her mind playing tricks. She slowly closed her eyes as the world around started to move.

"Sakura?" asked Kakashi as he watched the kunoichi stumble backwards, "Sakura!" he quickly moved and got to her in time. His both hands secured her body firmly just before she reached the bloodied floor.

"Kakashi…" Sakura whispered softly as she stared directly at his dark orb.

"What is it? Are you okay?" asked Kakashi as he sat back and supported her head on his lap. His eyebrow furrowed as he inspected her body temperature.

Sakura giggled lightly and nodded, "I'm fine…"

"You don't look fine," answered Kakashi, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I just felt dizzy," Sakura reassured him as she tried to free herself from his protective embrace.

"Sakura…" Kakashi tightened his arms around her body in order to keep her laid down.

Sakura rolled her eyes and jerked her head towards his body to avoid his prying eye. A crimson colour quickly flooded her cheeks as her emerald eyes widened. She realized that her face was oddly close to his… crotch. She quickly looked back at his face. Kakashi raised his eyebrow and he looked slightly amused.

"Are you blushing?" he asked, a smirk formed underneath his mask.

"W-what?" Sakura retorted feeling the burning sensation increase in her face, "Why would I be blushing?" She asked as she once again tried to escape his arms.

Kakashi chuckled as he held her firmly in place, "I don't know… you tell me,"

"Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed, a knot consuming her stomach, "What… we really have to go! What if someone comes?" she asked as she squirmed in his lap.

The silver-haired jounin said nothing as he watched Sakura try to free herself. Her breathing was accelerated, her rosy lips parted… maybe he could take his mask out and…

Slowly he shook his head. What was he thinking? Damn his hormones!

"Kakashi?" Sakura asked softly as she noticed his deep thinking posture. He seemed to be debating with himself.

She swallowed dry as one of his hands freed her waist and moved towards his face. Her green eyes widened as his fingers touched the fabric of his mask. Her heart beating slowed down as if it was coming to a final stop. Was he really going to let her see his face? Sakura now had the chance to run from his hold but yet she couldn't move. Her eyes were fixed on his fingers, on his mask. Was he going to take it off? Her stomach fluttered with unwanted butterflies.

Kakashi was her sensei… he was her sensei!

What the hell was happening?

**Oh my God! We like Kakashi-sensei!? **

Sakura watched with expectation as his fingers touched his mask. She waited, the whole scene seemed as if it was happening in slow motion. She waited, and then a deep breath escaped her lips in annoyance as he scratched his chin.

"Let's go… Rin was ordered to go see the Kazekage," said Kakashi as he slowly let Sakura go.

Sakura shook her head slowly. What was she thinking? Kakashi was never going to let her see his face. Sighing, the pink-haired girl quickly stood up and twisted her nose. She had forgotten how the room stank.

"Her disguise was not discovered was it?" asked Sakura as they stepped out the room at the same time.

"I don't think so," said Kakashi as he rushed through the empty corridor, "But I have a feeling that things are about to get messy. We must leave at once,"

Sakura nodded shortly. She knew what he was referring to.

They had arrived at the Feudal Lord compound only to find it oddly emptied. There were no guards keeping the house. No guards keeping the small temple the Feudal Lord owned.

At first, she thought that they had seen through them. That the Feudal guard was only waiting for them, a trap. However, as soon as she got to the main room and she spotted all the blood, all the bodies… she knew that something was not right.

Someone had been there, assassinated everyone and yet, nothing seemed to have been stolen.

And then, there was that odd sensation. The small tingle that ran up and down her body. The familiar scent of his fragrance… she could only be losing it.

"There is no way that he could… no. I'm being foolish," she muttered under her breath as she followed behind Kakashi.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" asked Kakashi as he turned left on to the other corridor that led them to the exit.

"Huh? I didn't say anything," said Sakura, closing the space between them.

"Sure?" he asked her, watching her from the corner of his eye. She seemed somewhat concerned.

"Yeah…" she answered, turning her head towards him, a wide smile adorning her pale features.

"Okay then,"

Sakura sighed inwardly, happy that he had decided to let it go.

* * *

Rin felt rather uncomfortable being under the glowing sun. Her white skin was now tanned and the clothes she was wearing had a horrible stink of sweat that kept sickening her every now and then. She forced a smile to Kakashi clone that lazily leaned against the opened gate.

Forty minutes has passed and they had not returned. It was needleless to say that she was starting to become more and more nervous.

"Hey Gin!"

Rin and Kakashi clone quickly spun around. Two suna nins were slowly walking towards them. One of them waved at Kakashi clone that slowly waved back. Rin gulped as they finally approached them.

"You guys won't believe it!" one of the nins said.

Rin heart came to a stop. Which one of them was supposed to be Gin? Kakashi clone seemed to be sharing the same very thought as he coughed lightly.

"Hey," Kakashi clone replied cheerfully.

Rin took a deep breathe, "What's up?" she asked in a neutral tone.

Both suna nins turned to her and smiled, "Sieg my good man, the Kazekage requires your presence," one of the nins said as he playfully punched her shoulder.

Rin nodded slowly, her brown eyes searching for Kakashi's clone who nodded shortly.

"Alright then!" said Rin as she nodded at the others, "I go see what the Kazekage wants from me,"

"Not so fast," one of the nins said. He was abnormally tall, seemed to be on his twenties. He was bald and had a ginger beard.

Rin froze in her spot and slowly turned around to face the man. Kakashi clone seemed calm and collected. However, one of his hands was already holding a kunai knife.

"Yeah?" asked Rin, raising her eyebrows in anticipation.

"Didn't you guys heard?" the bald nin asked as he scratched his belly, "The prisoner has escaped,"

"Yeah, he killed the jail guards. The whole town is a chaos right now. So if I were you, I'd avoid the main streets," the other nin added. He seemed to be around her age.

"Oh, right," said Rin, flashing them a short smile. She then turned around and walked straight ahead. After a few seconds she guessed that she was not on their eyesight anymore, she started to run forward.

She came to a sudden halt as the hair of her neck stood up. She barely had time to notice the strange presence.

A ruthless pain got her left side. She gasped in pain as blood leaked to the floor. At once, her disguise disappeared.

"Leaf?" a cold, calm voice asked.

Rin fell on her knees, her both hands flashed green. She quickly placed them on the fatal wound. She didn't even bothered to look behind. If he was going to finish her, he could have done it in one strike.

He eyed the brown-haired girl with indifference then suddenly a quick flicker of emotion crossed his frozen features as her hands were immediately covered with green chakra.

"A leaf medical nin. What are you doing here by yourself?"

Rin noticed his demanding voice. She only wondered, how on earth did they found out that she was an imposter. She sighed in relief as the bleeding stopped. She was safe for now. Rin knew that it was for the best to close the wound completely, but if she was going to fight, she was going to need some chakra.

She slowly raised, her back still turned on the stranger.

"Heh," the stranger replied, a sly smirk crossed his pale features as the leaf kunoichi turned to face him. He noticed her widened eyes as she contemplated the length of his wounds.

"You're hurt," Rin simply stated. A wave of relief washed over her as she noticed no headband on him, "You must be the prisoner that the Suna nins spoke about,"

He nodded shortly, "I am," he admitted, "are you going to fight me?" he asked as he watched her defensive posture.

"You attacked me," she stated, her eyes narrowing.

"I thought you were one of them," he replied. His right hand carried a katana covered with blood. Her blood, "My apologies," he raised his eyebrows in a mocking way.

"A normal nin would have died without quick treatment," Rin retorted gritting her teeth together. The boy looked around her age and the way he looked at her annoyed her beyond limits.

"Maybe so," he answered slowly, "Well I got to go. The whole village is looking for me,"

"Wait!" Rin called out, four senbons quickly flew his way. Her lips parted in awe as he simply deflected them easily. She was the faster when it came with throwing weapons, no one, for the exception of her sensei was capable to deflect her senbons this easily.

"Don't," he calmly told her, his eyes met hers.

Rin found herself nodding slowly as he turned his back on her. Katana in his hand. Somehow, she knew that she was no match for him.

* * *

"My clone is gone," Kakashi said as he started to run.

Sakura hurried behind, "Gone? The guards?"

"No, some guy killed the guards and my clone," replied Kakashi, a worried expression in his face.

"Rin!" Sakura exclaimed as she spotted the brunette girl standing in the middle of the entrance tunnel staring at the opposite direction.

Rin blinked softly as if she had just came out of a trance.

Kakashi eye widened at the sight of blood on the floor, in her clothes and her hands. In a quick impulse, he pulled Rin towards him.

"What happened?" he asked as his hands scrutinized her wound.

Sakura fiercely bit her lip. She stared at Kakashi and Rin, and then she stared ahead. Her legs moved on her own accord deciding for her. She ran forward and stopped at the village entrance.

Her pink-hair moved behind her as a gust of wind greeted her. She brought her hands to her face to protect her eyes from the sand.

As soon as the wind stopped, she opened her emerald eyes and looked at the recent footprints in the sand. Her heart compressed and the air seemed to vanish around her as the far silhouette walked away.

* * *

A/N: Hah… a short chappie. However, I liked this one. Maybe a little confusing… hmmm… If you spot something that does not make any sense please report it to me!


	14. Catorze

**Flaming Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

_I've been trying to answer everyone who has reviewed so far. A big hug to those I haven't replied to yet. _

_A big thanks for all the reviews and thanks to the anonymous reviewers, who I cannot answer back! I never thought that I'd reach this many reviews. I love you all!_

* * *

The birds claimed the clean blue sky for themselves; they flapped their wings and headed north, singing cheerfully. Beneath them, on the ground, between the tall trees of the forest were two figures. Their trek was slow and resigned. The blonde-haired woman turned her head to the white-haired man who whistled along with the cheerful bird's tone. Her honey eyes flashed dangerously at the oblivious man.

_"Easy Tsunade, worry not! I happen to know the way to those mountains,"_

She gritted her teeth together in sheer annoyance. After all these years, she still wondered why on earth she listened to him. Not only he did not know the way to those mountains but it was rather obvious that they were completely lost.

"Stop it," hissed the blonde woman as her hands curved into fists.

Jiraiya fish-like lips stopped whistling. He eyed the irritated woman from the corner of his eyes and offered her a half grin, "Tsunade look!" his cheerful voice made her cringe.

Was he not aware of how murder-like she was feeling right now? She could feel the blood boiling in her veins, an invisible strength driving her madder by the second, such strength that could only be appeased by punching the man that was standing at her side until he could no longer move a muscle.

Completely oblivious to her anger, Jiraiya stepped forward. Only then she noticed the small inn in front of them. All of her anger immediately vanished; a relief smile crossed her features as she made her way to the small wooden inn.

Jiraiya chuckled as the blonde-haired woman pushed him out of the way. He sighed dreamily as he watched her hips moving elegantly as she walked ahead.

"Maybe we can share a room…" he whispered contently.

His eyes bulged; he swallowed dry as Tsunade stopped on her tracks.

"What did you say?" she asked darkly, a fire dancing in her honey eyes.

Jiraiya laughed dryly, his heart beating strongly against his chest, "I didn't say anything!" he exclaimed quickly.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "Remember Jiraiya, we have a job to do,"

Jiraiya's expression became serious, "I did not forget," he said walking by her side.

"Maybe the Inn owner knows something," said Tsunade, a long sigh escaped her lips.

She hoped so. So far, since they had arrived to the Grass country, they hadn't gathered a single clue about the man who sealed the beast. A few people that they met on the way knew small stories about this famous man, but every story they heard didn't help at all with this man location.

It was needless to say that Tsunade was becoming a little hopeless. She knew that this man could help them. If Sakura was right, which she did not doubt she was, then this Kyuubi monster was going to strike Konoha soon. They had no time to lose. Every minute counted.

"How many rooms?" the old woman at the reception asked with a sly grin on her wrinkled features. The old woman grin disappeared instantly as her brown eyes spotted Tsunade's deadly glare.

Jiraiya gulped as he sensed the tension of the air increase. He chuckled lightly and patted Tsunade's shoulder.

"Why don't you let me pay for your room, Tsunade?" said Jiraiya, hoping to steal Tsunade's attention away from the old woman. He didn't want to hide another body.

Tsunade's anger expression dissipated away, replaced by a happy one. Her honey eyes seemed almost too innocent as she stared at the white-haired man.

"Okay!" she said, not passing the opportunity to keep her money in her purse.

The inn was very small. It had only ten rooms available. The beds were small but comfortable. The inn had no illumination at all. The only illumination was provided by candles. Tsunade sighed at that.

She carefully inspected the bathroom and marvelled at the sight of it. It was perfectly clean. She would take a long bath later tonight.

Right now, she needed a bottle of sake.

Tsunade left her room and walked towards the small bar. Her honey eyes beamed with excitement at the balcony. First, she looked around. Her eyes almost popped out as she noticed Jiraiya sitting at one of the tables, two young girls holding his arms. A vein popped in her head.

She quickly approached the table, almost drooling in rage when none of them acknowledged her.

"That's right, I'm Jiraiya… the most powerful Sannin!"

The young girls chuckled and prodded themselves closer to the white-haired sannin.

"Ahm ahm…" Tsunade coughed lightly.

"Ohh, what are you girls drinking? My treat!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the two beauties next to him.

"AHM UHM!"

"T-tsunade!" Jiraiya exclaimed somewhat surprised.

The young girls looked at the blonde-haired woman and arched their eyebrows in defiance.

It's pointless to say that it was a bad move.

A very bad move.

Jiraiya closed his eyes tightly as the table went flying to the next wall. The girls stared at the blonde-haired woman in pure horror, their arms tightening themselves around the white-haired man arms.

"Jiraiya-sama do something!" one of the girls said, her voice filled with fear.

Tsunade snorted as one of Jiraiya's eyes opened.

"I dare you too!" Tsunade said as she pointed her index finger at the white-haired man, "Mr-I-did-not-forget!"

The two girls slowly let go of Jiraiya's arms and slowly made their way out of the bar looking behind their shoulder, just to make sure that the crazy woman was not going to kill them.

"Come on Tsunade! You ruined my fun," said Jiraiya opening his other eye, a long frustrated sigh followed his words.

"We're not here to have fun!" Tsunade snapped.

"Miss… here's your sake," the bartender said, pointing to three bottles of sake.

Jiraiya arched an amused eyebrow.

* * *

Kenji and Kenjiro remained oddly quiet at the dinner table. The usual bickering, kicking under the table was strangely forgotten. The twins changed worried looks as both girls slowly played with the food in their plates. Both Sakura and Rin seemed to be absorbed in their own thoughts. The boys wondered if something had happened during their mission.

Rin sighed inaudible. She was staring at the piece of fish in her plate but in her head she was not seeing it. Instead, she was staring at the stranger, at the prisoner. He had spared her life as soon as he spotted her leaf headband. What relation did he have with leaf? However, that was not what worried her the most.

It was the look on the pink-haired girl features when she reported the encounter with the prisoner. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

Sakura placed her chopsticks down. The food in the plate was making her feel nauseous. She wasn't hungry.

"What the hell is going on?" Kenji, being the hot-headed one asked. He too placed his chopsticks down and crossed his petit arms around his chest.

His brown eyes searched for his sister gaze, but she did not look away from her plate. He then stared at Sakura, who eyed him apologetically.

"I'm sorry Kenji-kun," she said softly, "We are really tired from the mission,"

Rin nodded slowly even though she still had her brown eyes on her plate. Kenjiro continued to eat, his head jerked between the girls and his brother.

"Bullshit!" Kenji said as he dragged his chair backward and stood up, "Something is different… I… don't like it… it's so quiet," his hands curved into fists. His petit body trembled as he eyed the girls angrily.

"Kenjiro," Rin's angry voice startled everyone. She placed her chopsticks down fiercely and she too stood up, "We're tired. I'm tired. I just want a moment in peace," her voice softened up, her brown eyes stared at Kenji.

Sakura remained in her seat. Her emerald eyes stared sadly at the boy. All he wanted was attention. She wondered how alone the twins felt whenever their sister was not around.

"Rin…" Sakura started softly, "Why don't you go rest? I'll stay with the twins,"

Rin looked slightly surprised at Sakura's suggestion. The pink-haired girl nodded slowly in reassurance.

"All right," said Rin as she walked away from the table, "Thank you Sakura-chan,"

Sakura waited until she heard Rin's room door close. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at the twins.

"Kenji, take a seat," the pink-haired girl ordered. She sounded commanding but had a tender tone to it.

Kenji obeyed and Sakura smiled.

"Now, don't be upset," she said as she stared at his pouting expression, "Your sister is really tired and sometimes when people are tired they tend to get mad just like that,"

Kenji snorted, "I know that,"

"Sakura-chan… you are both just tired right?" Kenjiro asked as he finished eating his food.

The way Kenjiro voice sounded, so innocent and yet so troubled almost brought tears to her eyes.

She nodded, "Just tired," she answered fighting the tears back.

It was stupid. She felt stupid for feeling this depressed. She would not cry though, she had to be an example to the boys.

"Now, finish your dinner and then go straight to bed. You both have academy classes tomorrow, ne?"

The boys nodded.

"Good night Sakura-chan," said Kenji as he walked down the corridor. Sakura arched a curious eyebrow when she noticed that Kenjiro had stayed behind.

"Sakura-chan," Kenjiro looked at her, his brown eyes met her emerald ones.

"Hmm?" the pink-haired girl asked as she placed a soft hand on his head, "What is it?"

"Can you tell us a story? Nee-san always does,"

Sakura eyes widened slightly, "A story?" she asked, "Alright, but be warned," Kenjiro waited for her to carry on, "I never told stories before,"

Kenjiro grinned, "You can't be worst than nee-san,"

Sakura giggled, "We'll see,"

Sakura placed a finger on her chin as she dug inside her head some story. Any story. Damn, she didn't know any. She couldn't even think straight to make up some story up.

Kenji rolled his eyes, "Are you starting today?" he questioned impatiently earning a glare as a response.

"I know," said Kenjiro, his brown eyes beaming, "Tell us a story of one of your missions!"

Kenji clapped his hands in excitement, "Yeah!" he cheered, happy with his brother suggestion.

Sakura sighed and then a haunting thought crossed her mind and she realized that perhaps… perhaps it was a good idea. A sad smile decorated her tired features as she sat on the edge of Kenji's bed.

"All right," said Sakura as she placed a lock of pink-hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat and the twins leaned forward, eager to hear a story, "This story happened in the future,"

Both twins traded confused looks.

"You said you wanted a story," said Sakura, crossing her arms around her chest.

"Yeah but… the future?" Kenji asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow, "I thought we were going to hear about one of your missions,"

"I changed my mind," answered Sakura, offering them a devilish grin, "now shut up, or I won't tell a story at all!"

"Alright Alright," said Kenji, leaning his back on his pillow.

"Three genins were thrown together by fate. There was Naruto, an orphan boy which the whole village despised," she noticed Kenjiro narrow his eyes at the piece of information, "There was Sasuke, the last Uchiha," Kenji snorted and rolled his eyes, "he was considered to be a great genius, the best of the academy class," there was a second snort, this time by Kenjiro, "And there was Sakura, the prettiest girl of Konoha,"

Sakura couldn't fight back a smile at their bewildered expressions.

"You can't do that!" said Kenji, pouting.

"What?" asked Sakura in a fake innocent voice.

"You can't choose you as one of the main characters!" Kenji pointed out.

Sakura giggled, "Well I'm the story teller so tough luck, kiddo,"

"Coooome on! Carry on!" interrupted Kenjiro, yawning loudly.

"Right," said Sakura, "these three genins had their own unique personalities. Naruto and Sasuke immediately became rivals and Sakura always stayed behind, watching them fight. Ohh, I forgot to introduce a very important person, their sensei. He was a very lazy jounin, he never got in time to any of his training sessions and he always carried a book with him," Sakura smiled to herself. If only Kakashi knew that he was going to turn into a pervert.

"What's so funny?" asked Kenji as he watched a smile form in her face.

"His name was…" Sakura paused, ignoring Kenji question, "his name was Kakashi," she added.

"What?!" Kenji and Kenjiro asked in unison, "How come your giving your characters names of people you know?!" Kenji added, narrowing his eyes in displeasure.

"I'll add yours later on," said Sakura, placing a finger on her lips, "now shush and listen,"

Both boys groaned in frustration but allowed her to carry on.

"One day, the three genins received their very first real mission. A man, a bridge builder requested Konoha's services and the Hokage allowed our team to escort this man back to his village. Only they didn't know that their lives were about to face a deadly danger," Sakura smiled victoriously as she noticed that the twins were entranced in the story. Seriously, all she had to do is to mention the word danger**.**

* * *

The streets were abnormally crowded. Sakura and Rin both eyed the decorations for the upcoming festival in pure awe. It was a popular festival that was celebrated every three years. The main goal of the festival was to introduce marrying age women to the society, where women often received marriage proposals.

A group of girls passed by them, laughing out loud and pointing at the shop windows commenting on the latest fashion design. Sakura eyes spotted a breath-taking emerald Kimono that matched the exact shade of her eyes. Rin smiled as she followed the pink-haired girl gaze.

"I bet it would look gorgeous on you, Sakura-chan," said Rin, her hand pulled out her purse from her pocket.

Sakura eyes widened at the brunette-girl gesture, "No, Rin," said Sakura, shaking her head, "I couldn't possibly accept,"

"Why not?" asked Rin, feigning an offended tone of voice.

Sakura smiled, "I have already taken a lot from you," said Sakura, "I'm living under your roof, you have bought me clothes and provided me food-"

"Sakura-chan, cut it out," said Rin waving a dismissing hand, "You have paid me for the clothes already despite of my protests. I bought them for you because I wanted to, not because I felt forced to do so,"

"Still-"

Rin smiled sweetly, a mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes told Sakura that she was up to no good.

"Please, Sakura-chan," Rin pleaded in a soft, heartbreaking voice, "I really want to come to the festival and I really don't want to come by myself," added Rin, a sad expression in her face.

Sakura found herself blinking as she looked at the brunette in front of her. Who would have thought that Rin knew how to be manipulative?

With a long sigh, the pink-haired girl nodded and Rin smiled in victory, "Let's get you the kimono, ne?"

Both girls stepped inside the clothe shop at the same time. Rin eyed the contents, searching for a suitable kimono for herself. Sakura ran to the counter and flashed a wide grin at the man behind the counter.

"The green kimono at the window, how much is it?" Sakura asked.

The man arched an eyebrow, "5000 ryou,"

Sakura took a deep breath.

There was no way that Rin could pay for that.

"Oh," Sakura finally answered as she stared at the man's face. He seemed to be smiling a mocking smile, as if he knew that a person like her could never afford such dress.

Sakura glared at him before turning her back on him. She took a good look around. She searched the whole store. There wasn't any other Kimono that she remotely liked. Sighing, she spotted Rin holding a purple Kimono.

"Have you tried the kimono yet?" asked Rin.

Sakura gave her a sad smile, "No,"

"Why not?"

"It's too expensive,"

"Hello Sakura-chan,"

The cold soft voice reached her ears, sending a cold shiver up her spine. Rin smiled politely at the figure standing behind Sakura. The pink-haired girl slowly turned around and stared at the smiling form of Kyo Uchiha.

Sakura forced a smile on her face as she locked her eyes with his dark ones. The last conversation between them played in her head.

"Kyo-kun," said Sakura in a formal tone of voice, "Erm, what brings you here, to a female clothing shopping?"

Most boys would have blushed at such question but he remained impassive, "I saw you coming in. I thought I'd stop by to greet you," he said.

Sakura nodded at his answer. Though, she could not stop the feeling that he wanted to say something more. Rin who also got the same feeling, smiled softly, "Ano, I go see if I find er… a better kimono,"

The pink-haired girl opened her mouth to tell Rin to stay but Kyo interrupted, "Are you going to the festival?"

Sakura turned her head to look at him. Only now she noticed how taller he was. He was probably taller than Kakashi.

"Yes, Rin and I are," Sakura answered.

Kyo nodded, "I heard you rescued my little cousin," Sakura nodded, "I… well to be honest, the reason why I'm here, is to ask you, in behalf of the Uchiha clan to come have dinner with us,"

Sakura blinked, "I'm sorry, what?"

Kyo chuckled, "Tonight? My uncle, Itachi's father was going to ask your sensei to pass you the message, but since I happened to find you here-"

Sakura couldn't believe in her ears. The Uchiha clan had invited her to have dinner with them. She knew they would take no as an insult and she didn't really wanted to provoke the Uchihas in such manner.

"Oh, I don't know what to say," and it was the true. She was still too taken back to think straight.

"Say yes," said Kyo, a smirk adorning his features.

"Hai, of course I'll go," said Sakura, a lurching sick feeling in her stomach.

Kyo features lightened up at her positive answer, "Well then, we'll look forward to see you tonight, shall I pick you up?"

Sakura didn't really like the way he looked down at her. His dark eyes danced mysteriously as if she had fallen at a deadly trap.

"Uh… sure," Sakura answered, still thinking, trying to make any sense of what was going on.

"Uhm… Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked straight at his dark eyes, "Hmm?"

"I have a last request," Kyo said, his smirk vanished from his face, "Would you allow me to pay for the Kimono?"

Sakura blushed furiously, "W-what?"

She knew, that allowing him to do, would also mean that she would reserve the festival night only to him.

"I already paid for the dress," a harsh cold voice spoke from behind them.

Sakura jumped startled, her lips parted in surprise as both boys glared at each other.

Right there, in front of her was standing Kakashi holding an emerald kimono in his hands and a shy smiling Rin by his side.

* * *

Her smile made him smile. It was a rare sight, that smile of hers and he happened to be the lucky one who witnessed it.

Both figures stared at the wooden door. It looked rather old, as if it hadn't been opened for a while now. There were also small cobwebs on the door knob and at the small egg-shaped windows. The house itself looked as if it was inhabited for a very long time. Tsunade stepped forward to the wooden door. She wondered if that strange man at the Inn gave her the right directions. It wouldn't surprise her if he hadn't and if he hadn't, he was going to pay.

Finally, she stood right before the dusted door. Her nose wrinkled as she breathed in some of the dust. Pushing her blonde-hair away, Tsunade eyed her surroundings a last time before she knocked. She knocked once and strained herself to hear anything. All she needed was one sign that would indicate whether within the old house walls there was a human presence or not.

The blonde-haired woman brows wrinkled as she heard numerous locks being unlocked. Tsunade wondered why this man needed so many lockers. It wasn't as if anyone would want to rob such antique house.

The door finally opened and both Jiraiya and Tsunade stared in awe at the young man standing right in front of her. She had been expecting an old man, someone that matched with the house.

The young man was as surprised as they were, "Yes?" the man asked, his voice was deep.

Jiraiya and Tsunade traded confused looks, "We are here to speak with Hanabusa,"

The young man narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "There is no one here with such name,"

"Look, kid," Tsunade interjected, "We know he lives here, so where is the old man?"

The young man eye twitched violently at the strange blonde-haired woman manners. He adopted a rigid posture and turned to stare at her, "I already told you, there is no one here with such name,"

Tsunade gritted her teeth, her head screamed 'Get him! Get him now!'. Jiraiya placed a strong hand on her shoulder, just in case she jumped on the young boy.

"Look, it is a very urgent matter," said Jiraiya, "we are from the fire country and –"

"Hitori? Who is it, Hitori?" an old voice interrupted Jiraiya. The young boy rolled his eyes at the sound of the voice behind him.

"Mr. Hanabusa?" Tsunade called out, stepping forward. The young man blocked her way, a kunai in his hand.

Jiraiya sighed, he really didn't want to fight the brat.

"Who's there? Hitori?"

The young man ignored Hanabusa. He glared at the ill-mannered blonde-haired woman as he blocked the door in order to prevent her from coming inside.

"Mr. Hanabusa! We're here to talk about the Kyuubi,"

"Hitori… let them in,"

* * *

Kakashi walked down the street, he was walking between Rin and Sakura and strangely enough he was carrying an emerald and purple kimono in his arms. Sakura hadn't opened her mouth to say a word; she didn't even know what to say.

Kyo had acted weirdly. The way he offered to pay for the dress, it sounded almost like he was inviting her to go to the festival as his date. She frowned at the thought. Kyo was a handsome boy and probably had many fan girls following him around. However, Sakura didn't feel the least interested.

Now what bothered her, what scared her beyond limits was the dinner she had with the Uchihas.

Kakashi looked at his pink-haired girl team mate from the corner of his eye. She seemed to be still thinking about what happened in the shop.

"He's bad news," said Kakashi as he came to a stop.

Sakura was quickly brought back to reality. She noticed that they were standing in front of Rin's house. Kakashi extended his arm and placed the purple Kimono in Rin's hands.

"I don't want you near him," said Kakashi, a trace of concern evident in his voice.

Sakura emerald eyes searched for his dark one, "Why? Is there something I need to know?" she asked.

They didn't notice Rin walk away and step inside the house.

"I don't have a particular reason," Kakashi answered, sighing.

"He… well," Sakura ran a hand through her pink-hair, "he invited me in behalf of the Uchiha clan to have dinner,"

"What?" Kakashi asked, slightly alarmed, "When?"

"Tonight," Sakura answered shyly. She didn't even know why she was blushing.

"Be careful," Kakashi said after a while, "They are dangerous,"

Sakura nodded, "I will,"

"Right," said Kakashi, "Here," he placed the kimono in her arms, "I'll see you at the festival," he said softly, almost inaudible. As soon as the last words escaped his mouth, he wished, he prayed to the gods that Sakura didn't catch what he said.

Sakura bit her lip, "Hai,"

Kakashi felt his cheeks burn. He couldn't help to feel somewhat embarrassed. This girl, made him say the strangest things.

_I'll see you at the festival,_ no matter how many times he repeated it, the embarassment feeling wouldn't go away.

"Bye," Kakashi turned his back on her, lifted up an arm and waved good-bye.

Sakura swung her right foot back and forth, a shy smile in her face as she watched him walk down the street.

Rin quickly turned around as Sakura made her way to the half-closed door. She quickly ran down the corridor and locked herself in the room before the pink-haired girl could sense her. The brunette girl threw the purple kimono to her bed, her hand clutching to her aching heart.

* * *

_As always, thanks for reading. I introduced a festival, I made it up. I don't think there is such festival so it's just fictional. I focused a bit on Tsunade's and Jiraiya's task, I hope they weren't out of character. _

_I hope you enjoyed this one. _

_Please Review!_


	15. Quinze

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

_Woaah! -Jumps of happiness- I'm so happi for all the reviews! Here I am sitting at work... pretending to work xD haha, you guys should see me whenever one of my superiors pass by, I put this innocent air and pretend to work. It's a really hard task to do. I bet that not even a ninja could do a better job than me! _

_And because I'm this bored at work, here it is the next chapter!!_

_Please enjoy!_

* * *

Her green orbs were set on the dark starry sky, her pink hair moved along with the gentle yet cold breeze. Sakura was completely aware of his dark eyes that followed her every move. Her hands turned into fists but for mere seconds. It was irking her, those eyes of him, dark and cold, a curtain of mystery which she could not read.

Sakura could hear his heavy footsteps next to her, reminding her where exactly they were heading to. Slowly, she jerked her head to stare at him. A slight blush invaded her cheeks as she met his gaze. He smirked, that familiar smirk that she was used to see on another Uchiha face.

"You are quiet," said Kyo, his voice was soft and had a small hint of entertainment in it, as if he was enjoying her discomfort.

Sakura offered him a small smile and nodded, "You are too," she replied arching a pink eyebrow.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, his hand brushed softly against hers. Sakura eyes widened at his warm touch, "You have no reasons to be this nervous and stiff around me, Sakura-chan,"

Sakura let out a shaky laugh, "I am not nervous," she answered, slightly moving away from him.

Kyo arched an amused eyebrow, "I see,"

They turned left and Sakura took a deep breath as she stared at the enormous mansion. She had never imagined that this could happen. She was about to meet the famous Uchiha clan, Sasuke parents. A sick feeling claimed her stomach.

_Calm down Sakura_, the pink-haired girl told herself as she stepped forward.

Her legs suddenly became heavy, she wondered if they would give in at any moment. Biting her lip, Sakura walked straight ahead, ignoring Kyo's constant glancing. Her heart throbbed as the distance became shorter by the second.

She finally stopped at the doorsteps. Sakura stared at the door, and then she glanced sideways at Kyo who offered her a sweet reassuring smile. She knew that as soon as she stepped inside, there was no turning back.

The tall door opened without warning, surprising the pink-haired girl. She ignored the panic in her head, the urge to turn around and to run down the street like a mad woman. She gulped and stood her ground as the open door revealed a tall dark-haired man, whose crimson eyes pierced her soul.

Sakura almost forgot to breathe at the powerful aura in front of her. The man had a blank expression on his features. He acknowledged Kyo with a small nod, his eyes never leaving Sakura's form.

"Greetings, you must be Sakura-san," the man said, his voice was strong and croaky.

"Hai," Sakura responded, bowing slightly.

"I am Itachi's father, Fugaku Uchiha," the tall man introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Fugaku-sama," Sakura offered him a genuine smile, "How is Itachi-kun?"

"He's doing well," Fugaku answered and stepped aside, "Please do come in,"

Sakura stepped inside, her eyes studying the golden halls. The wooden floor was acuminated clean. At the end of the hall stood two young maids, they bowed and smiled at Sakura as she walked past them, following Itachi's father. Kyo walked behind her, a smirk adorning his pale features.

The house was filled with life. There were colourful paintings hanging on the walls. Sakura found herself smiling at one of the paintings that represented the Uchiha symbol. The Uchihas were really proud of their clan.

Sakura's stomach suddenly complained loudly when she caught the marvellous scent of cooked food, Fugaku looked behind his shoulder to stare at her blushing face. Sakura was surprised; she could have sworn that she had spotted a small smile on the man's blank face.

At that thought, she allowed herself to feel more relaxed. They turned right into another hall. Sakura stared at the open door, which revealed a large dinning room. By the looks of it, Sakura managed to conclude that the living room was only used for formal dinners. She gulped; she didn't really need this treatment just for a thank you dinner, right?

The surprise did not end there. Her emerald eyes widened at the sight of a large oval table, filled with members of the clan. They seemed to have heard them on the corridor, because they were all in silence, contemplating the pink-haired girl, with a mist of curiosity and amusement.

Itachi's father walked towards one of the empty seats, he pushed the red cushioned chair backwards, "Sakura-san," one of his arms mentioned for her to take the seat.

She eyed the room, stared at the strange faces and walked towards the seat. Her heart thumped hard and fast against her chest as if she had ran miles non stop. She sat down and shyly thanked Fugaku.

She heard the noise of a chair move by her side. Kyo gave her a gentle smile and a quick discrete nod of his head. Sakura smiled a nervous smile and placed her trembling hands on her lap.

Fugaku walked to his seat, his crimson eyes disappeared and dark ones took its place.

"Thank you, Sakura-san for accepting our dinner invitation," his voice was loud and clear.

The other Uchihas looked in her direction; their faces wore a curious expression. Sakura nodded slowly, "It's my pleasure," she said softly, noticing the satisfied looks on the Uchiha's faces.

"As you all know, we are gathered here for a very important matter, one that might offer our clan prestige," said Fugaku, he glanced sideways at the confused pink-haired girl.

Sakura looked at Kyo for some explanation but he merely smiled at her.

"Sakura-san," Fugaku turned his head to look at her, "as you might have realized by now, we haven't invited you only to a thank-you dinner," Sakura nodded slowly, not sure if she wanted to hear the rest, "You are the Hokage apprentice, an excellent medic-nin according to the chief of the hospital-"Fugaku paused, his eyes pryingly her.

Sakura hands clutched tightly to the fabric of her blue kimono, she didn't like the tone of his voice at all. The fact that he had been asking questions about her didn't help at all. Did… did he know? She gulped as she waited for him to carry on.

"Well… the reason why I summoned some of you were to witness this special event," Fugaku added, "Kyo,"

Kyo stood up and Sakura bit her lip.

_Shit, Shit… no way…_

The dark-haired nin turned himself towards Sakura, he stretched an arm in her direction. Her hands relaxed, leaving a wriggle mark on the Kimono. She slowly took his warm hand, allowing his assistance to help her up.

"Sakura-chan," Kyo started softly, "It's a tradition of the Uchiha clan that I am following this day," his dark eyes locked with her scared, panicking ones, "As you know I am of marrying age… as so are you," Sakura heart stopped momentarily, "I want you to be my wife,"

_I want you to be my wife?,_ Sakura repeated Kyo's words in her head. Somehow, that didn't sound romantic at all, it sounded more like an order.

Her eyes widened at the tightening grip his closed fingers had on her hand. She glared at him, fighting back the urge to break his fingers.

Then, Sakura flashed Kyo a sweet smile and turned her head to stare at Itachi's father. It seemed that everyone in the room was expecting an answer from her.

"I… I am speechless," said Sakura, her emerald eyes pausing on Kyo, "You flatter me, Kyo-kun. However-"

"However?" one of the sitting Uchihas said arching an offended eyebrow.

Sakura noticed how identical he and Kyo looked. It was Kyo's father and he seemed highly displeasured with her answer.

"However," Sakura carried on, locking her eyes with Kyo, "I am afraid I would not be a suitable wife for you,"

Murmurs erupted. Fugaku stared at Sakura expecting a further explanation.

"What do you mean Sakura-chan?" asked Kyo, his grip on her hand increasing.

Think… Think… come on! Think Sakura!

Sakura lowered her head, "I'm already committed to another person,"

Kyo's grip loosened up. The murmurs died down and Fugaku sighed, "I see, you have nothing to apologise for," his dark eyes passed by her and stopped at Kyo's.

"It's _him_ isn't it?" He asked.

Sakura shivered at the intense hate in his words.

"I…" she didn't even know what to say.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan," Kyo's scary voice disappeared. It was as if Sakura had imagined it in the first place, "Let us eat, ne? We can still enjoy a pleasant dinner,"

Sakura nodded and Fugiku narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired girl.

It's needless to say that the dinner was awfully awkward. Kyo had not spoken a word to her or anyone else. Fugaku asked her a few questions, all of them oddly politely, it was as if he felt forced to do so. She wondered if he feared Minato's sensei if he mistreated one of his students.

Sakura thanked every existing God when the dinner came to an end. Itachi's father thanked her for coming and thanked her a second time for bringing Itachi back to them in one piece.

The Mansion door closed and Sakura found herself facing Kyo.

"I'll carry you home," he said, walking ahead.

"Kyo-" Sakura started, feeling somewhat guilty even though she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Don't," Kyo stopped in his tracks. His voice was low and dangerous. Sakura stayed behind, not daring to approach him. She looked at the ground and sighed, "It will be okay," he added slowly.

Sakura eyes left the floor and stared at his back wonderingly.

"When I see something that I want, I will have it no matter what," he looked behind his shoulder and grinned hauntingly at her. Sakura eyes widened at his abrupt speed. One second he was standing a few feet away from her now he was right in front of her.

She stared at his chest, avoiding his Sharingan eyes.

"K-Kyo… what are you-- oww!" Sakura exclaimed as two strong hands held her shoulders.

"Look at me," Kyo ordered, violently shaking the pink-haired girl.

"Let me go," Sakura gritted her teeth together, her shoulders ached due to his strong grip.

"Not until you look at me," Kyo said, shaking her again, "Sakura…" the way he said her name sent cold shivers up her spine.

Sakura face hardened, the shock expression disappeared at once, "I said to let go," she muttered angrily. She placed her hands on his arms, chakra flowing through her.

Kyo gasped in surprise at the incredible pain that assaulted his arms, it seemed as if his bones were about to crack at any minute.

"Let go!" asked Sakura, her brows pressing together in worry. She didn't want to break his arms.

"Gah!" Kyo quickly took his hands away from her shoulders. He massaged his left arm, glaring at the medic-nin.

"What the hell is your problem?" The pink-haired kunoichi asked. Her voice was unstable.

Kyo did not answer as he massaged his other arm. He simply turned his back on her, "This is not over," he hissed angrily as he walked back, towards the mansion.

"Fine," Sakura answered as she carried on walking on the opposite direction. She came to a stop listening to his footsteps, "If you keep insisting… no… if you ever lay a finger on me again, I will crush you,"

Kyo's footsteps faltered, "Hn, I can't wait for you to try,"

Sakura remained still as the footsteps died down. Her whole body was trembling, not due to what happened, but because she was angry. She fought back her killing instincts of turning around to pursue the Uchiha and beat him to a pulp.

Long minutes passed and she finally arrived to Rin's house. Her emerald eyes widened when she spotted his sitting form on Rin's doorsteps.

Kakashi jumped to his feet as soon as he noticed her standing in the middle of the street. Sakura forced a smile on her disturbed features. She found her legs moving forward. Everything happened so fast. One minute she was staring at his sitting figure and the other she was making her way towards him.

The silver-haired jounin was completely taken back when the pink-haired girl stopped right in front of him. Her pink-hair was hiding her features, one of her hands slowly made its way to his blue shirt.

"Sakura… w-what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Sakura ignored him, instead she leaned her forehead in his chest.

Kakashi gulped and slowly placed his hands around her, "Sakura?" he whispered softly.

"Hmm, Kakashi…"

"What is it? What happened?" he asked.

"If someone asks… we are committed to each other,"

"What?"

* * *

"I'll kill him!" said Kakashi as he walked back and forth. Minato massaged his temples as he stared at the infuriated silver-haired jounin.

"You will not do such thing," said Minato as he stood up, walking towards the window. He took a good peek outside and found himself grinning at the preparations for the festival, "I already summoned his father, I'm sure he will have a proper punishment for what he did,"

Kakashi snorted and stopped to look at the blonde-haired man back, "Sensei… we both know that he will receive no punishment,"

Minato shrugged, "Be as it may, Kakashi. You are not going to lay a finger on him,"

Kakashi shot him a confused look, "But why?!"

"Because, this time he gets out of the hook with a warning… but next time, he will have to face _me_," said Minato with a long sigh, "The Uchihas are up to something,"

Kakashi previous anger disappeared at the new piece of information, "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Minato said, turning around to look at the copy-nin, "Nothing to worry about at the moment. Now, now, don't you have to go find something fancy to wear for the festival?" asked Minato, earning a murderous glare from the silver-haired nin.

"You know that I'm not going," said Kakashi with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Aha, yes, but this time you have to,"

Kakashi uncovered eye stared at his sensei, "I'm sure you are going to tell me why?"

Minato laughed softly, "Are you letting Sakura go on her own? Isn't she supposed to be committed to you? If she goes to festival on her own, it will mean that she is a single woman," Minato paused as he placed a strong hand on his favourite pupil shoulder, "Please Kakashi, I don't want any angry Uchihas in my office, calling my students a bunch of liars,"

Kakashi shook Minato's hand, "Right,"

The young jounin turned his back on the blonde-haired man and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Minato surprised.

"To buy me a fancy thing to wear," replied Kakashi. Resignation present in his voice.

Minato's face brightened up, "Wait!"

Kakashi stopped at the door, glancing curiously at the young Hokage. Minato scratched the back of his neck and grinned, "You don't mind if I tag along do you?"

"I didn't know you were searching for a wife," said Kakashi, a smirk forming underneath his mask.

"Wha? I'm not!" said Minato waving his hands about, "I already have someone to go with," Minato avoided his student perplexed look and grabbed his long coat.

"No way," said Kakashi at last, closing the door behind him as he watched the happy Hokage walk down the hall, "Kushina-san… who would have thought?"

* * *

It was a rather simple house. It was a little too small for Tsunade's taste, but she wasn't there to judge this old man house. She sat uncomfortably on the incredible small worn out couch. She was sitting next to Jiraiya, her knee touching his. She took a deep breath at the contact.

Jiraiya didn't even seem to notice such thing. He had his eyes fixed on the elder man who was calmly drinking his tea. Behind the old man was Hitori, his eyes glaring at the two Sannins.

Hanabusa finished his tea and placed it on the small wooden table next to his rocking chair.

"You mentioned the Kyuubi," the old man said, his eyes pryingly the two strangers sitting in front of him.

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded, "What can you tell us about the Kyuubi?" asked Tsunade, straight to the point.

"Hitori, the book,"

The young man bowed and made his way to the door, leaving only, after he shot a warning, suspicious look at the two nins.

Hanabusa scratched his chin, "I wonder how you possess the knowledge of this beast existence,"

Tsunade smirked. She'll be damned; the old geezer had some brains, "We would like to hear about the Kyuubi first,"

The old man eyes narrowed slightly in suspicious, "Hmm," he mused softly as he stared at the blonde-haired woman. She looked somewhat familiar.

"Here it is," said Hitori as he stepped inside the room carrying a large book in his hands.

Jiraiya remained quiet as he stared at the leather cover. He could have sworn he had seen the Uchiha symbol in it. His dark eyes stared over at the old man.

Just who really was this man?

"The Kyuubi is a nine-tailed monster," the old man started but Tsunade cut him off.

"We are aware of that," she said, her eyes met Hanabusa's grey ones.

"Oh?" the old man questioned.

"We came here to ask you… how can we kill this monster?" Tsunade leaned forward.

Hanabusa blinked at the odd woman words.

"I'm sorry… what?" the old man asked in astonishment.

"Hai," Jiraiya stood up, "We have reasons to believe that the nine-tailed beast is going to strike Konoha soon. We came here to find a way to stop it,"

"I see…" Hanabusa replied, the big book escaped his hands, landing on the wooden floor with a loud thump.

* * *

Up in the high night sky, a very bright full moon glowed.

He walked slowly across the forest not even bothering to check if he was being followed or not. His fists shook fiercely; his face wore a maddened expression. His crimson eyes flashed dangerously as he walked ahead.

A noise, of a broken twig captured his attention. He quickly turned around, a kunai ready in his hand.

"Show yourself,"

"Calm down, boy," a hard cold voice reached his ears. He dropped the kunai on the floor and turned his body to the voice direction.

"Count me in," the boy said, gritting his teeth.

"Are you sure?" the man asked still not revealing himself, shadowed by the long trees leaves.

"Yes, I am sure," the boy said angrily. His crimson eyes finally spotting him at one of the tree branches. Around the shadowed man were four ANBU nins.

"Well, I shall contact you when it's time to strike," the man said, chuckling. He was happy to see that his plans were going smoothly, "Do not let me down, Kyo,"

"I won't Danzou-sama," Kyo replied and turned his back on the shadowed figure. "You will regret it, Sakura-chan," he whispered as he walked away not noticing another shadow following closely behind.

It happened so fast. He could see the village gates so close and yet, his strengths failed him as he tried to drag himself towards it. He could see his blood spreading around him.

"W-who are you?" Kyo asked, trying to lift his head to look at his attacker.

Before he succeeded, the attacker stepped on Kyo's head, pushing it to the grass.

"You disgust me," the voice spoke calmly.

* * *

_Due to my boredom, I managed to write this much without being caught by my superiors. -cheers- and because I'm such a nice girl, I will offer you a small preview of what I have in mind for the next chappie. _

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview**

Minato covered his face with his hands. The red-haired woman, who was standing behind him placed her arms around his neck. She raised her eyes at the shocked silver-haired jounin.

"I... I didn't do it," said Kakashi, his voice above a whisper, "Sensei... y-you believe me right?"

The Hokage's office door was burst open revealing a concerned pink-haired kunoichi, "Kakashi!" her emerald eyes widened at the sight of his unmasked face.

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading!! Woah a two chapters in two days. Don't I rock or what? Heh anyways I hope you all liked it. _


	16. Dezasseis

Flaming Heart

**Disclaimer**: As every single one of you know... Naruto is not mine and never will be -sniffs-

* * *

_Alright! Thank you all so much for the wonderful positive feedback. _

_Now, with no more delays, here is the sixteen chapter. Thanks to Ellie for helping me with this one._

_Hope you enjoy it._

* * *

It was a beautiful late afternoon. The street lamps were illuminating the large square that held the festival, multiple couples laughed along as the pleasant music played in the background. Right in the middle of the square stood an improvised decorated stage.

No one was dancing yet; the time for dancing would come later on. The festival would only official begin as soon as the elders of the village arrived.

A particular duo walked through the crowd ignoring the squealing and giggling of many young women. The red-haired woman had a content smile plastered in her young features as she held the Hokage's arm. The blonde-haired man smile matched hers as he nodded and greeted the civilians.

Only a few seconds had passed as they had arrived to the place where the festival was happening and already murmurs and rumors passed by, quick as the wind itself.

Meanwhile, in a few streets away a nervous masked nin stared at the wooden door, his hand stretched ready to knock but somehow he felt somewhat hesitant to do so. He could never have imagined to be wearing such formal clothes, standing in front of Rin's door feeling completely nervous. He did not know whether he preferred to have enemy shinobi surrounding him or to attend this festival.

With a long sigh and ignoring, the strange feeling that lately claimed his stomach without permission; he finally knocked at the door. Kakashi gulped as he heard footsteps coming from behind the door. His lazy uncovered eye stared at a snickering Kenji.

"You look ridiculous," said the young boy, one hand holding his stomach, suppressing his laugher.

Kakashi sighed, "Where are the girls?"

"They are still locked in the bathroom, refusing to get out," Kenji answered, his brown eyes beaming at the silver-haired jounin, "I heard you are accompanying Sakura-chan to the festival,"

Kakashi rolled his eye, "Only because I have to," he answered, his big strong hand messing Kenji's hair, "are you inviting me in or what?"

"Can't do," answered a second voice. Kenjiro appeared from behind his twin, his arms crossed around his chest.

The copy nin rose a curious eyebrow, "Why?"

"They told us not to let you in until they are ready," Kenji answered, showing his immaculate white teeth in a wide grin.

Kakashi ran a hand through his spiky silver hair and eyed the twins, "How long have they been at the bathroom?"

Kenjiro shrug his shoulders, "We lost count of the time,"

"Women," Kakashi muttered under his breath.

"Kenji!" a voice from inside the house yelled. Kenji sighed and turned around.

"Kenjiro stay with Kakashi," said Kenji as he walked down the corridor towards the bathroom.

Kenjiro sighed, "I never seen nee-san this excited," his brown eyes stared at the deserted streets. Usually at this time of the day, there were still a few civilians walking home.

Kakashi nodded and smiled, "Sakura helped your sister overcome her sadness,"

The small boy head turned to look at Kakashi with a small knowing smile on his face. Everyone could see it that was not only his sister that faced a few changes; the jounin at his side had changed too. Kakashi had become more social, more open to other people around him, all thanks to pink-haired girl.

Both of them turned around at the sound of footsteps. Kakashi eye widened at the sight of two completely different girls. His mouth opened slightly in surprise as he glanced at the pink-haired girl who traded a shy smile with the brunette girl.

Sakura had her pink hair in an elegant bun, one small lock of her hair was loosened at the left side of her face. There was barely any make up in Sakura's face, only a small hint of a rosy lipstick. Her green kimono fitted her slender body magnificently and added a brighter mysterious look to her big emerald orbs.

Kakashi took a silent deep breathe and looked at Rin who looked nothing like the girl he was used to see on a daily basis. She had her hair down; a purple lace that matched with her kimono decorated her mid-long brown hair. She too looked outstanding, but for some unknown reason it was the pink-haired girl, who made it almost impossible to take his eye away from her.

The girls stopped in the middle of the corridor as they took notice of his presence. Rin cheeks burned with an intense blush as Kakashi tilted his head, a part of his unmasked features showed an amused expression. She had never dressed this formally and neither did he.

Kakashi looked absolutely handsome in his grey and midnight blue kimono. Kakashi's eye moved from Rin toward the pink-haired girl who had a hand covering her mouth as she stared back at him. His lazy eye widened. She was… laughing… at him!

Sakura tried to muffle her laugher as she stared at the silver-haired boy in front of her. Never had she ever imagine to see Kakashi wearing one of those. Kakashi-sensei, the laziest nin she knew who wore the same clothes everyday. The so familiar green vest seemed like a mirage now in her head as she contemplated the young Kakashi. Her back shook with her uncontrollable laugher.

Rin, the twins and Kakashi stared at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Gomen," said Sakura, after taking a deep breathe. She smiled gently and walked towards the door, where an embarrassed Kakashi was standing.

"Pfft, I know I look ridiculous," he told her, as he looked straight at her eyes.

Sakura smile remained in her features as she shook her head, "No," she said softly ignoring the remaining spectators, "you look… different. I like it,"

Kakashi said nothing at first, "Let's get going," he said, putting his hands at the sides of his kimono searching for inexistent pockets. He sighed in annoyance at that.

Rin smiled at the twins and reminded them to behave while she was gone. Sakura sighed as she imagined Naruto's face in utter incredibility after seeing Kakashi in a kimono. He would never believe her if he did not see it for himself.

The brunette medic nin gently nudged Sakura's arm bringing her back to reality, "Ready?"

Sakura gave her a small nod, "Let's go,"

Kakashi stopped in the middle of the street waiting for them to catch up. Sakura flashed him a shy smile as she placed herself at his right side. The fabric of her kimono touching his.

As they arrived at the large square, the loud and cheerful music greeted them. Sakura eyes watched in amazement at all the happy couples that danced along with the tune. Her mouth opened in surprise as at the middle of the dancing couples, a tall blonde-haired man graciously danced with a red-haired woman. She had seen her before…

"Look!" Sakura said elbowing Kakashi's side. He gave a small grunt of displeasure but looked in the direction, which she was pointing at, "Who's that beautiful woman, Minato's-sensei dancing with?"

Rin giggled, "That's Kushina Uzumaki,"

Then it hit her.

The instant smile vanished; Sakura brightening emerald eyes became dull as she looked at the smiling red-haired woman.

"U-Uzz-zumaki?" Sakura repeated, stuttering, her hand clutching to her chest.

Kakashi nodded, "It was about time those two came clean about their feelings,"

Sakura's stomach lurched with a sick feeling. Kushina Uzumaki…

"E-e-excuse me," said Sakura, one of her hand covered her mouth as she dashed away from her two teammates.

Sakura managed to break through the dancing crowd and finally reached the other end of the square. She then ran down the empty street and only stopped until the cheerful music became slightly faint. She swallowed dry and could feel her brain rummage through her thousands of thoughts.

How could she be so blind?! Angry with herself she punched one of the building walls, leaving a small yet noticeable crack. Heavy-breathing she leaned against the wall. Her mind displayed Minato's sensei smile over and over again.

Sure, she had noticed the odd resemblances, but that was it. She thought it could not be possible, that it was just a mere coincidence, but now… now she knew, there was no other explanation.

She knew who Naruto parents were.

"Sakura,"

His soft voice made her shiver. She sighed and hesitantly looked at the silver-haired boy who slowly walked towards her. An unexpected smile adorned her pale awed features as she once stared at his elegant form wearing a kimono.

"What the hell happened back there?" he asked as he approached her.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and gave him her best smile, "I don't really enjoy big crowds," she managed to say, proud of her quick excuse.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow clearly unconvinced, "Is that so?" he asked, looking away from her, his head jolted upwards and he glanced at the retreating sun.

Sakura did not answer. It was obvious that he was aware of her little lie.

"Why don't you trust us?" his voice was low but enough for her to hear.

"Kakashi…" she murmured, "I trust you,"

He gave her a small "Hmph" and sighed afterwards. He didn't really want to start another pointless argument with the medic-nin. Kakashi stretched his arm in her direction, catching her by surprise. His eyes were still set on the retreating sun.

She slowly stretched her arm, her hand held his firm cold one. Sakura gasped as he gently pushed her towards him. Kakashi looked down at her confused and surprised face.

"Dance with me," he whispered softly against her pink-hair. The strange feeling in his stomach increased.

Sakura swallowed dry as her heart began to race as if she was facing a battalion of enemy shinobi. She could still hear the faint rhythm of the festival music.

"H-here?" she asked, feeling one of his hands moving down her back, his other hand was still holding her hand.

He gave her no answer as his feet began accompanying the now soft music. Sakura found herself stiff in his arms, moving along. Not one single thought crossed her mind. She could not think, not really. Not when his body was this close, not when he smelled this marvelous.

Kakashi smiled underneath his midnight blue mask as Sakura became like a rock in his arms. The hand he was holding trembled slightly, her other hand clumsily stopped in his right shoulder. He led her throughout the dance, his uncovered eye never leaving her emotional ones.

Her eyes were a mystery to him. Green orbs that held the story of her life, challenging him, giving him a strange need to find out more about her.

The soft music suddenly changed to a cheerful one but they remained dancing along to their own slow rhythm.

Sakura couldn't believe in what she was doing. She was actually standing in a deserted street, dancing with Kakashi-sensei…

_No, with Kakashi_, she corrected herself.

The boy in front of her was not her sensei. He was her teammate…

Sakura decided to ignore the thousands reasons why she should stop. She bit her lip as she closed the space between them. Kakashi lazy eye stared at her wonderingly.

She leaned forward. She would have placed her head on his shoulder but he was too tall. Sakura simply leaned her head in his chest, listening to his accelerate heartbeat. She smiled against his kimono. Slowly, she took her hand away from his and snaked her arms around his neck.

It was right there at that moment as the sun completely disappeared down the horizon and they carried on dancing not changing a word; Sakura realized that she could never go back.

* * *

The two masked figures ran side by side at full speed. One of the ANBU figures carried a body in his arms and suddenly stopped. The other copied him and glanced curiously at his partner.

"Go straight to the Hokage," the ANBU who was carrying the body said, "I will hurry to the hospital,"

The second ANBU nodded and disappeared, hooping from roof to roof, hurrying towards the festival. In a matter of a few seconds he quickly reached the large square where a few people stopped talking, others stopped dancing to stare at the ANBU.

The ANBU man quickly spotted the Hokage and walked towards him, the people who were in his way, quickly moved in order for him to pass.

Kushina was the first one spotting the ANBU. Minato smile dissipated away as Kushina's happy face turned to a frown. The Hokage quickly turned around, his face too turned to a deep frown. The ANBU man bowed significantly.

"Hokage-sama, there is an urgent matter," the ANBU man spoke in a grave voice.

"What is it?" Minato asked, slightly annoyed and at the same time somewhat worried.

"We found a wounded jounin near the main gates, Hokage-sama," the ANBU replied and by the sound of his vague information, Minato could see that the jounin identity was an important one.

Minato nodded and glanced at Kushina who merely offered him a sad smile, "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I see you later,"

"Hokage-sama I'd recommend to have one medic-nin of your team to assist the nurses," the ANBU said turning his back on Minato.

Minato turned around; spotting Rin dancing with Iruka. He sighed as he made his way towards the brunette girl, "Rin, come,"

Rin eyed her sensei worriedly, "Is everything-"

"Yes, everything's fine," Minato interjected, "Just a patient that needs your care," he turned to face Iruka, "Please forgive me for interrupting,"

Iruka blushed, "N-not at all Hokage-sama,"

Minato nodded and turned around hurrying behind the ANBU. Rin did the same.

"Who is it?" Minato asked as he finally caught up with the masked ANBU.

"Kyo Uchiha," answered the ANBU, his voice was calm and deprived of any emotion.

The ANBU suddenly came to a stop at one of the roofs, his hand pulled his mask out, "Minato… he claims your student did it,"

Minato deep blue eyes widened, "Are you sure Kaito?"

Kaito nodded slowly, "It's only a matter of time until the news reach the Uchihas,"

Minato sighed and ran a troubled hand through his blonde-hair, "Who else knows about this?"

"Yuzuki has ordered the apprehension of Hatake Kakashi," Kaito answered.

Rin gasped as she set foot on the roof they were standing.

* * *

They finally broke apart.

Kakashi looked at the short pink-haired girl who stared back at him; an awkward silence filled the air around them.

"Well…" Sakura said nervously, avoiding his dark eye, her heart threatening to explode at any minute, "This is suddenly… awkward," she completed, taking a deep breathe in order to calm down herself.

"Sakura…"

His voice forced her to look at him. He seemed somewhat hesitant in what he was going to say.

"Y-yes?"

As soon as her emerald eyes looked into his eyes, he felt a sudden burst of confidence.

"If I don't kiss you right now, I think I'm going to go crazy,"

Sakura's eyes widened at his audacity, her cheeks… her whole body turned crimson at his words. She tilted her head slightly as the silver-haired jounin closed the space between them. Sakura hand moved towards his mask, swallowing dry as she realized that Kakashi had no intentions to stop her.

Her fingers softly touched the fabric of his mask.

"Hatake," a strange and loud voice made Sakura hand shrink back. Her head jerked towards left where an ANBU shinobi stood.

"Yeah?" Kakashi asked, turning to face the ANBU.

"Any resistance from you will be considered as threat and I will be forced to take you down," the ANBU said, taking a step forward.

Sakura shook her head slowly, confused at the masked nin words.

"W-what's happening?" she asked, her scared eyes stared at Kakashi for an explanation.

"What am I being charged of?" asked Kakashi distancing himself from the pink-haired girl.

"There are no formal charges against you as of yet," the ANBU answered as he finally stood in front of the silver-haired nin, "I have orders to escort you to the Hokage,"

Kakashi nodded, "Sakura," he said turning his back on the pink-haired girl.

"Kakashi?" Sakura stepped in his direction but came to a stop when a kunai went straight at her, landing on the floor warning her not to come any closer.

"I… nevermind,"

Sakura watched impotently as Kakashi and the ANBU shinobi disappeared from her sight.

* * *

The sound of light footsteps contrasted with the silence of the illuminated corridors. Her trek was slow as she followed the tall dark-haired nurse who was leading the way. The nurse turned right, walked past the first floor rooms and headed straight to the staircases. Rin eyes narrowed as she climbed the stairs, wondering how badly were the Uchiha injuries.

The medic-nin eyes widened at the sight of the dark-purple haired kunoichi that was leaning against the room door with an absolute relaxing air filling her young kunoichi features.

Rin brown eyes met her light grey ones. The young Kunoichi nodded at Rin in a greeting way. Rin bowed her head respectfully just before she stepped inside the quiet room.

"We managed to stable his vital signs," the nurse spoke in an uncaring voice as she stared at the sleeping Uchiha.

The young medic-nin nodded shortly, "Alright," she whispered as she approached the bed. Her brown eyes stared at his broken nose; it had been broken multiples times. Sighing, she shoved the warm blankets away from his body.

She was somewhat relieved to see that most of his simple wounds had been cleaned and already treated. As she eyed his body, Rin eyes stopped at his left side. Her lips opened in surprise at the length of the wound. A sword had, with no doubts, cut his side. How he did not die due to loss of blood, she did not know. Then, her brows furrowed as she surveyed the wound more closely, she noticed the slight yet visible marks of burnt. Her eyes widened at the bravery and at the same time stupidity of the sleeping boy. He had burnt his skin around in order to slow down the bleeding.

Her hands instantly glowed green, her lips pressed together as her chakra tried to mend his main wound. Her already racing heart squeezed tightly as she noticed that there was something wrong with the nature of the wound. She could see a strange substance already spreading in Kyo's body.

She focused more chakra in her hands, hoping that he would not die. At least not in her care.

A few moments later, loud voices echoed outside the room.

Rin hands remained still, healing. Her breathing had become heavier, her heart raced as she recognized that voice.

"_Not only you killed my son, you dared to take a piece of him, a piece that belong only to us, Uchiha,"_

"I'm sorry, I cannot let you through," a serious female voice spoke from outside the room.

Rin bit her lip and carried on healing Kyo.

"What is the meaning of this?" said a deep and loud male voice angrily.

"I believe I was very clear. I cannot let anyone enter," the female spoke, louder than the male's voice as if she was trying to tell him not to raise his voice at her.

"Do you know who you are talking with, brat?" the man asked, clearly disturbed by the lack of courtesy from the kunoichi that was standing guard on the door.

"Seriously sir, I could not care less," said the kunoichi, following with a short laugh, "I have specific orders from the Hokage. No one, not even an Uchiha," the way she pronounced the clan name was filled with mockery that made Rin gasp at the enormous audacity of the other kunoichi, "can go through this door,"

"This is outrageous!" the man exclaimed, "Do you know who I am? I'm his father!"

The female voice remained in silence.

"She is in there, isn't she?" another male voice joined the others. Rin's heart came to a sudden stop, her blood freezing in her veins, "The incompetent one who killed my son,"

"Enough, gentlemen," a new young female voiced added.

Rin heard a soft sigh.

"Thank God, Hana," the first female voice said in relief.

"Anko," the other female voice greeted warmly, "What do we have here?"

"I think they do not want to obey to the Hokage's order," Anko replied, a sly smirk adorning her features.

"That's not good," a young boy appeared from behind Hana. He seemed to be playing with a senbon in his mouth. His both hands were in his pockets, "not good at all,"

* * *

Kakashi followed the ANBU who didn't seem too worried about the small possibility that Kakashi might run away. After all if he did run away would only make things worse, but that was not the point. Whatever had happened, Kakashi was sure that it had nothing to do with him.

Both of them finally stopped in front of the Hokage tower. The ANBU turned to stare at the silver-haired jounin, "Good-luck, Hatake,"

The copy nin blinked a few times as the ANBU disappeared in the thin air. A few seconds later he turned and stepped inside the building.

The office door was open.

Kakashi slowly stepped in, it was probably the first time ever that he felt quite reluctantly in walking inside the Hokage's office. His dark uncovered eye stared at the tired blonde-haired man in front of him, standing in the middle of the office as if he had been expecting him for hours.

Something in the deep blue eyes of the blonde man quickly told the young jounin that trouble had come to knock at his door.

"Minato-sensei," Kakashi said quietly as he slowly approached the older man.

"Kakashi…" Minato started, his voice was low and slow, "I want you to tell me the truth," Kakashi nodded, his eye widening at the urge in the yondaime's voice, "Did you attack Kyo Uchiha?"

Kakashi jaw dropped at the unexpected question, "Wh-what?"

"Answer the question," Minato ordered, all the softness of his voice disappeared, replaced by a serious and uncharacteristic one.

"Of course not!" Kakashi replied, somewhat offended that his sensei had to ask in the first place.

"Very well," Minato said as he walked towards his desk, "Let me start from the beginning," Kakashi nodded and he too took a seat, "Kyo has been found by a team of ANBU which happened to be returning from a mission,"

Kakashi nodded, confused.

"He was found gravely injured; he was at the doors of death, saved by pure luck. If the ANBU team had not felt the scent of blood, Kyo would be at this very moment, dead," Minato finished tapping his fingers on the wooden table. His eyes never leaving his student.

Suddenly, before Kakashi could answer, a loud voice was heard from the corridors, "You cannot!"

Minato and Kakashi both recognized Kushina's urgent voice. Minato dragged his chair backwards and quickly stood up. He made his way towards the open door.

He spotted the red-haired woman trying to stop three angry Uchihas from walking forward, towards his office.

"Kakashi you stay here," Minato muttered, not sparing a glance at the silver-haired jounin, "What is going on here?" Minato asked as he walked down the corridor towards the red-haired woman who was already ready for a fight.

The Hokage quickly snaked an arm around her and gently pulled her backwards. His blue eyes pierced the three men standing before him.

"Hokage-sama," greeted Fugaku, the head of Konoha's police force.

Minato did not reply, his gaze stopping on the man behind Fugaku, "You will be allowed to see Kyo as soon my student has finished with the healing process,"

The man, Minato was staring at snorted, "That little-"

"One more word and I'll make sure you will regret it," Minato voice was louder than ever before. He had never raised his voice, especially not against the Uchiha's.

Kushina eyes widened at the different and scary Minato.

"Can't we all get along?" a familiar voice sounded from behind the Uchihas.

The three Uchihas stepped aside, revealing a serious Sarutobi.

* * *

To anyone else that was watching carefully could see a certain pink-haired girl walk through the crowd. Sakura tried to find a familiar face but with no avail. Her emerald eyes brightened up at the sight of a free small bench which she immediately claimed it for herself. She sat down, stretched her tired legs and wondered what had happened for an ANBU itself come to get Kakashi.

Butterflies still swam inside her stomach as she remembered how smooth the fabric of his mask was. Her heartbeat began to race as his words never left her head.

She knew it was so wrong at so many levels, but who was she to deny that she wanted it. She needed it, his strong arms, his familiar voice, the way his dark eye stared at her as if he knew everything and nothing at all about her.

Sakura shivered slightly at the cold feeling that went up her spine. The hair of the back of her neck slowly stood up at the strange sensation that assaulted her being. She quickly jerked her head to the sides, searching.

She could feel a pair of eyes on her or maybe, she reminded herself, she was just being her paranoid self.

"Sakura-chan?" a quiet voice spoke from behind her.

Sakura unhurriedly turned around at the familiar voice, "Iruka-kun," she greeted him with a gentle smile.

"All by yourself?" Iruka asked as he sat next to her, his eyes fixed on the happy crowd.

"I was looking for Rin but I think she might have gone home," Sakura answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Iruka casted her a curious stare, "Rin's at the hospital,"

Sakura blinked at his piece of information, "What? Did someth-"

"No, it was an emergency," said Iruka locking his eyes with the pink-haired girl. A strange wave of familiarity washed through him.

Sakura quickly stood up, "Excuse me," and ran. She avoided every dancing or walking person as she crossed the large square. She finally arrived to the streets, the Konoha Hospital right in front of her.

She dashed quickly across the hospital, following the familiar chakra. Sakura came to a quick stop a she faced three nins guarding the room door. Her green eyes widened as she stared at the three of them. More familiar faces.

"Rin!" Sakura exclaimed as she walked forward, ignoring the other three nins curious looks.

Anko slowly moved out of the way so that the pink-haired girl could step inside.

The boy who had a senbon in his mouth raised a curious eyebrow, "So that's Hatake girlfriend?" a smirk decorated his naughty features, "She's not bad… not bad at all,"

"Shut up, Gemna," Hana Inuzuka hissed, her arms crossed around her chest.

Sakura froze as she stared at the body lying on the bed. Rin did not turn around, she didn't want Sakura to see her falling tears.

"R-Rin…" Sakura whispered as she slowly stepped forward.

"I… c-c-couldn't save him either," said Rin, a loud sob escaping her lips.

Sakura gulped and quickly evolved the brown-haired girl in a tight embrace, "You did everything you could,"

"I d-don't understand," Rin said as tears fell on the pink-haired girl kimono, "All of his wounds… w-were c-closed b-but the cut… the large cut was not done with a n-n-normal sword," Rin stuttered, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.

"Shhh," Sakura said, her eyes stuck at Kyo's peaceful face.

"I c-couldn't s-save him a-and n-now K-k-kakashi-kun will be charged of m-m-murder,"

The pink-haired girl whole world crumbled apart. What had she done? It was her fault, she had messed the future so much that she had ruined Kakashi's future. Then, as if she had slapped herself, she shook her head fiercely. What the hell was she thinking? Kakashi would never kill someone like that.

"Rin, stay here. The Uchihas cannot know about Kyo's death yet,"

Rin shot her a confused look, tears still falling down her face. Sakura did not offer her an explanation. She turned her back on the brunette-haired girl and ran out the door, leaving three curious nins behind.

* * *

"Thank you, Sarutobi," said Minato as he allowed himself to fall on his seat.

Kakashi remained in his seat in absolute silence. He could have sworn that he saw a small smile adorning the old man's face, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. It was strange, though. He felt oddly calm as he sat there, in front of the Hokage, also his mentor. He felt oddly calm for a person who was suspicious of attacking a fellow nin.

Who would have thought that someone out there had gotten his hands on the Uchiha bastard first than him?

"Minato you need to calm down," said the old man as he placed himself at Kakashi side, "The Uchiha's are difficult people to deal with, but there were no reasons to answer to them in such way. I daresay that you should have simply invited them to leave," Minato nodded at the old man words, "and then," Sarutobi added looking at the curious look on the Hokage's face, "if that did not work, you should have demonstrated them who holds the Hokage title,"

Minato chuckled, despite the difficult situation he had in his hands, "Yes, I can already see the elders faces,"

Kushina snorted, "Those old geezers," she quickly covered her mouth as she stared at Sarutobi. She knew that the old man was a close friend with the village elders.

"Kakashi-" Minato started but was soon interrupted as pigeon flew through the window and landed graciously at the Hokage's desk. A small scroll attached to its leg.

The already tension of the room increased. Kakashi shifted uncomfortable in his seat as Minato took the scroll in his hands.

"Kyo Uchiha did not resist his injuries and has passed away," Minato spoke, his voice was neutral. The small scroll escaped his hands and fell forgotten on the desk.

If things were bad at this point he did not want to imagine when the news of the death of the young Uchiha finally reached the clan.

Minato covered his face with his hands. The red-haired woman, who was standing behind him placed her arms around his neck. She raised her eyes at the shocked silver-haired jounin.

"I... I didn't do it," said Kakashi, his voice above a whisper, "Sensei... y-you believe me right?"

The Hokage's office door was burst open revealing a concerned pink-haired kunoichi, "Kakashi!" her emerald eyes widened at the sight of his unmasked face.

Her eyes took a mental photograph at his surprised naked face. The contrast of his eyes, each eye a different color was something she had seen before. But the perfect line that his clenched jaw formed, his small yet full lips pressed together and his thin sharp nose was something she had never laid her eyes on. She had never imagined that such features could beautifully co-exist with each other, even his scar that crossed his crimson eye seemed a piece of art that had been added to another, completing then a masterpiece.

"Sakura!" Minato broke the awkward silence, "What are you doing here?"

"Minato-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, breaking her gaze away from Kakashi's face, "Kakashi is innocent!"

Sarutobi, whose presence Sakura had yet to notice, opened his mouth in awe. The pink-haired girl that was standing in front of him… looked too much like this other young woman he knew… in fact, the resemblances were quite scary, indeed.

"Sakura," Minato started, taking a deep breath through his nose, "I'm sure Kakashi had nothing to do with what happened. If he says he had nothing to do with it, I believe him,"

Sakura nodded, feeling more relieved, and she turned her head slowly towards Kakashi and offered him a forced smile which he did not return.

"Sakura leave," said Kakashi, looking away from the confused pink-haired kunoichi.

* * *

_I hope I did not exaggerate on how Kakashi looks like. I hope you liked it. _

_And so, as I won't be able to submit a chapter this often again, so until I submit the next one, enjoy the small preview._

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview**

The blonde Sannin leaned forward and shook her head, "So you are telling us that there is no way to defeat the nine-tailed fox demon?"

Hanabusa shook his head slowly, "There is a way of course," the man said, his mouth formed a sneaky smile, "Bring me the girl, I will teach her the technique, but I must warn you that only a few are able to perform such thing,"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He knew for a fact, from the books he had read, that the performer of the seal always died.


	17. Dezassete

_Flaming Heart_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

_A/N: Oh my God! It's a new chapter! –waves- Sorry it's a short one. The next one will be the biggest chapter ever. I'm already working on it because I feel inspired! Hey isn't that great? _

_I apologize for further mistakes you might notice, I had the chapter written down on my notebook and just typed it really fast, I'm in a hurry to go have dinner. It's chicken wings with rice in case you're wondering. Yum Yum._

* * *

Masked figures gathered in a straight line facing a dark clothed man. The moon shone from behind them, the dense trees on the hills threw checkered shadows, and dark forms loomed like devils.

On the dark-clothed man left hand was a wooden walking stick. A rough, exasperated sigh left his mouth as he glanced at the small group of ANBU ninjas.

"The Uchiha brat died," his voice was raspy and cold, "matters not," he added, stepping forward, a haunting look possessed his old features.

"Danzou-sama," one of the masked ninjas called out, "what are your orders?"

Danzou stared at the man's mask which assembled a grey wolf, "I want the medic-nin. However, since our pawn is off the game we will have to do things differently," there was disappointment in the man's voice.

Kyo Uchiha death had occurred in a bad time. He absolutely hated when things did not go according to his plans.

"Danzou-sama," the same masked ninja said, stepping forward, "How are we supposed to get the Hokage's apprentice without anyone noticing?"

"I do not care how you do it," said Danzou, clenching his jaw, "Dismiss,"

The ANBU ninjas were gone at a blink of an eye.

Danzou turned around and walked down the improvised road that crossed the small forest. His eyebrows narrowed as he placed his walking stick on the floor, supporting half of his weight on it.

The pink-haired girl was a question mark. If there was something he hated the most, were unanswered questions. He will make sure that the girl is captured and then… he would see his questions answered, at last.

* * *

The silence was deafening.

Deep, pensive black eyes stared at the two Sannins, Hanabusa's lips formed a very thin line as he played the conversation in his head.

The young man, Hitori who was standing behind the couch, his arms crossed around his torso, the pouting expression decorating his pale thin features changed to absolute awe at the two leaf ninjas in front of him.

He had never heard such preposterous thing. A girl from the future? How ridiculous! Hanabusa-sensei would never believe in such nonsensical lies.

"I believe in you,"

Hitori mouth opened slightly, his eyes almost dropped right to the floor as his ears captured the words he feared the most.

"Hanabusa-sensei! You can't possible-" the blonde-haired woman head jerked ferociously towards him, "b-b-b-believe t-t-them…" he stuttered the last part trying to ignore the deadly glare on him.

"I'm afraid that I cannot help you," the old man said ignoring his apprentice, "A demon cannot be defeated, not even with the strength of thousands of men,"

"So it's hopeless?" Tsunade asked, her eyes widening at the deepness of the old man's words. She refused to admit defeat. There had to be a way… some way! Anything! Anything that could save Konoha.

The blonde Sannin leaned forward and shook her head in confusion, "So you are telling us that there is no way to defeat the nine-tailed fox demon?"

Hanabusa took a deep breathe and slowly shook his head, "There is an ancient technique… one that is forbidden. I'm sure that's how you've heard about me,"

"So there is a way…" she muttered under her breathe, half relieved.

Jiraiya who had been sitting in silence during the whole conversation eyed the old man intently.

Hanabusa took a deep breathe, "There is a way of course," the man said, his mouth forming a sneaky smile, "Bring me the girl, I will teach her the technique, but I must warn you that only a few are able to perform such… thing,"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He knew for a fact, from the books he had read, that the performer of the seal always died.

* * *

It felt like a heavy dark cloud was suspended above their heads, threatening to rain at any second. Sakura, took a deep breath, calming herself down, ignoring the invisible sharp arrow that stabbed her heart at the copy-nin's words.

The medic-nin gaze stopped at the Hokage waiting for him to say something, anything at all, that she could stay if she wanted to. However, all he could offer her was a sympathetic smile. Feeling oddly defeated, the pink-haired girl turned around, her green orbs widened as she noticed the old man by her side.

"Sakura…" Kakashi voice made her jolt towards him. The silver-haired jounin slowly moved his head, his mismatched eyes softened up as he stared at her sad expression, "please take care of Rin,"

Sakura almost forgot to breathe as the corner of Kakashi's lips moved upwards, forming a small and adorable smile. Awkwardly, she found herself smiling back not noticing the others amusing looks.

"I promise," said Sakura with a short nod of her head. She then bit her lip as she turned around, her eyes staring only at the wooden door, avoiding to look at the familiar old man.

Since she was little, Sakura had the impression that the old man could see right through people. Sarutobi's eyes, they were like a lie detector and she feared that if their eyes met, he would get all the answers from her.

She finally closed the door behind her. Sakura walked down the familiar corridor and closed her eyes in relief.

* * *

The halls were oddly quiet even for a hospital. Three nins were standing in the hall, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts as they listened to the medic-nin's sobs that echoed through the hospital room they were guarding.

The dark-purple haired kunoichi broke the odd silence as she sighed deeply. She looked behind her shoulder and stared at the brunette-haired girl kneeling form. Rin's hands covered her face as she cried hard; her shoulders trembled with every new sob.

"Man…" Anko muttered as she turned around, her feet dragging her towards the crying girl, "I think that's enough for one day," she added as she stood behind Rin, a stern look present in her juvenile features.

Rin's hands dropped to her sides. She slowly half-turned around and looked at the kunoichi in front of her. Her lower lip quivered, a few tears still fell down. Her brown eyes were becoming red of crying.

"Seriously," said Anko, the stern look disappeared of her face as she brought a finger to her lip and pretended to look around with a thoughtful expression, "If you carry on crying like that, I think you'll sink the hospital down with your tears," A small entertaining and yet kind smile displayed in Anko's face. Her light grey eyes met Rin's troubled ones.

A small chuckle was heard behind them, the noise of something made of metal fell to the floor.

"Ewww Gemna! Can't believe you actually put it back in your mouth,"

Both Anko and Rin chuckled lightly at the same time.

"Rin!" Anko turned around and stared at the new girl, "Oh Rin…" Sakura exclaimed sadly as she took notice of the still fresh tear streams on the brunette girl face.

Anko stepped aside and Sakura ran towards Rin, placing herself on the floor at her side. She quickly pulled the other medic-nin to a tight hug.

"Hey. Why don't we lock the door, I'll place a small barrier that will keep the Uchihas-bastards away," Both girls stared at Anko, "Er.. that way you both can go home and rest," Anko finished, placing a hand in her hip, "What do you think?"

"Thank you Anko-san," Rin whispered with a sad and exhausted smile.

"That would be great, thank you," said Sakura, feeling rather weird to be talking to a younger Anko.

"No problem,"

They walked side by side, holding hands. Rin was no longer crying and Sakura was really thankful for that. Seeing Rin cry made her want to cry. The pink-haired girl suddenly looked to both sides of the street and realized that they had walked already passed by the house.

"Uh, Rin… we-"

"I know," Rin answered softly, "I just want to go to this place first,"

Sakura opened her mouth to ask where, but she didn't need to. Right ahead of them was the graveyard. There were several tombs, but at the center, surrounded by a circle of the greenest grass she had ever laid her eyes on, was a huge memorial stone.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura allowed herself to relax as Rin dragged her forward.

They finally came to a stop, right in front of the memorial stone. Sakura was impressed by the several names carved in it. She couldn't help but to feel like a stranger as she stood there, holding hands with Rin.

This was supposed to be a private moment between her and Obito.

"It's… It's the first time I visit him… since… you know,"

Sakura turned her head to stare at Rin. She looked at her teammate with saddened eyes as she realized how deep Rin's pain was. Maybe…it was almost or even deeper than her own pain. No, she wouldn't compare who has suffered, or who is suffering the most. No one should ever go through pain. Any kind of pain.

"You are here now…" Sakura whispered, feeling that it would be wrong if she spoke louder.

Rin's brown eyes gazed at his name.

Obito Uchiha.

What she wouldn't give to see him one last time, to hear him laugh, to hear one of his endless lateness excuses, to hear Kakashu-kun scold at Obito, who would then turn to her, always with a wide smile in his face, whenever he saw her. A smile that always told her that everything was going to be okay.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I'm just a hindrance,"

Sakura felt Rin's grip loosen up. A shocked look spread instantly through her tired features, "You're not!" Sakura exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loud, "Rin! Obito never thought of you as a hindrance…"

"What do you know?"

Sakura was mentally slapped at Rin's harsh tone of voice.

Rin's hands trembled and turned into fists, "Huh? What do you know?" Rin eyes were glued on the memorial stone, "You… came out of nowhere… came into our lives…with all of your secrets…" She paused for a second, "you know nothing,"

Well that was unexpected, "I… I…" The pink-haired girl didn't even know what to say.

"You are here," Rin face stopped in deep thought, "almost for three months and…" the medic-nin shook her head, tears had started to fall down again.

Sakura swallowed dry, "and what?" she asked quietly, not sure if she really wanted to hear the rest.

"I love him…" Rin whispered, "I always have! And then… you… you come out of nowhere… and I… always thought that I would be the one to change him,"

Sakura already broken heart, bled deeply. It was like a piece of glass that remained there carved in her heart, was pushed deeper.

"Oh… Rin… No…"

"No?" Rin sobbed and finally locked her brown eyes with her tear emerald ones, "I… I'm going home,"

Sakura wanted to say something… anything! She wanted to tell her… tell her what exactly?

"I love him too…" she whispered not aware that Rin had stopped for a brief second before she exited the graveyard.

Sakura felt dizzy, her both hands quickly found the memorial stone as support.

"I'm a horrible person," She mumbled to herself as she stared at Obito's name.

After a long moment, Sakura sat down, her back leaning on the memorial stone. Sakura tears finally fell down like a wild river driven by a storm. She couldn't go home. She couldn't face Rin.

* * *

The first rays of the sun made her eyes flutter open at once. Sakura opened her lips in surprise as she stared at the familiar silhouette in front of her. She quickly glanced around and the last night events caught up to her. She could feel a long headache approaching.

Her emerald eyes curiously stared at the brown blanket that was covering her legs.

"Erm, thank you," she said, as she quickly stood up, picking up the blanket, folding it and then stretched her arm towards the old man, who chuckled lightly in return.

"I assure you my dear, that is not mine," His eyebrows pressed together in amusement as the pink-haired girl blinked at him.

"Oh…" was Sakura only reply as she wondered whose blanket was it. Her gaze fell back on Sarutobi, the blanket was completely forgotten in her hands. A question formed in the back of her mind.

As if he could read minds, he smiled gently at her, "Today I received a very unexpected letter," the third said, his hands took a piece of paper from his robes pockets. He gave it to her.

Sakura unfolded the piece of paper and gaped at the familiar calligraphy. Her features showed a small frown, her frown deepened as she carried on reading until the end.

"You know," concluded Tsunade's apprentice.

Sarutobi nodded and handed her another piece of paper. Sakura didn't need to unfold that one to see that it was a small map.

Everything, the tree leaves, the clouds above them, even the mosquitoes that flew near by… looked as if they were in slow motion.

It was time to leave.

She had to go.

It was as if a large monster had suddenly dug its enormous claws across her stomach.

"I… I…" Sakura stuttered at the conflict in her heart. She could have sworn that she had seen a small shadow move through the bushes.

"Sakura Haruno," the way the third pronounced her name in a such familiar tone, as if he had said her name before plenty of times before, brought her back to reality, "Playing with the hands of times can bring you the most deadly consequences,"

Sakura nodded, "I know sir," she said, her eyes meeting his for the first time, "I have a good reason to change the course of history,"

Sarutobi arched an eyebrow, "Having a good reason does not give you the right to do it,"

Sakura bit her lip at his words. There was no censure in them, just his honest opinion. She knew he was right, she knew that many would consider what she was doing as an act of egoism. It was too late now.

"I do not regret it," she spoke confidently.

Sarutobi's lips formed a smile catching her off guard, "Then… make sure you do succeed,"

"Hai,"

* * *

She stared at his door.

The sick feeling was still so very alive in her stomach. Her whole body felt heavy with doubts. Doubts that she never thought that would come to haunt her at this point. Sakura felt like she was the most horrible person in the world as Rin's outburst played over and over inside her head. The feeling, the need to throw all her plans away was quite tempting.

Her legs stepped forward and her hand finally knocked at the door. As soon as she knocked, she fought the urge to turn back and run down the street. She didn't though, she had to see him.

Sakura's heart raced rapidly as she heard his steps from the inside of the house. Seconds later, the door was wide open and a half-naked Kakashi, stood at the door entrance. Sakura stared at his toned chest, disappointment shot through her as the mask was already glued to his face.

"Sakura," he sounded surprised.

Biting her lip as his voice played in her mind, _'If I don't kiss you right now, I think I'll get crazy,' _Sakura pushed him inside and closed the door behind her with a loud bang.

Kakashi sleepy and tired eye gained instant life as Sakura hand pulled his mask away from his face. He opened his mouth but before he knew it, before he could say anything at all… Sakura's rosy lips fiercely touched his.

Sakura parted, flushing one hundred different shades of crimson. Kakashi took a step closer towards the pink-haired girl, placed his hands gently at each side of her face, their eyes met.

"You call that a kiss?" He smirked, his right hand moved away from her left cheek towards her thin waist. He pulled her closer. Sakura could feel his sweet breath on her, "Let me show you…"

Sakura closed her eyes and then opened them at the gentle touch of his lips. She needed to look at him at every chance she got. A small moan left her lips as she noticed that he too had his eyes open. Sakura felt herself drown at every second that went by.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as the hand on her waist traveled down to her lower part.

He groped her!

Sakura opened her mouth, gasping slightly. Kakashi smirked into the kiss and quickly placed his tongue inside her mouth. Sakura knees almost gave in, as her tongue shyly massaged his.

They finally parted, short of air.

What happened next, shocked her. She never thought or imagined herself doing such thing, especially with the silver-haired jounin. She blushed again as her hands touched his chest, she leaned forward, leaving a small trail of kisses.

Kakashi mismatched eyes widened, "S-Sakura… stop," He told her softly. Sakura stopped at once, she eyed him nervously, feeling somewhat slightly embarrassed, "are you sure of this? Are you really really sure? You and me?"

_You and me._

If she had been selfish so far, she could be selfish only for a little while.

"I'm sure,"

Kakashi didn't need to hear another word. He quickly picked her up and slowly made his way to his bedroom.

Sakura buried her head in his chest, listening to his heart beat. It raced as fast as hers did.

The copy-nin gently laid her down on his bed.

Sakura never for a second took her eyes away from him, because today... because in a few hours she was going to leave…

Because… Sakura wasn't sure if she was going to see him ever again.

* * *

_Hehe… sorry for those who are fans of "lemons". I can't imagine me writing one. I don't even appreciate them. Anyway, this way things are simpler and "cleaner," Lool!_


	18. Dezoito

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: You know…

Author's Note: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Let them keep coming –grins-

* * *

What she would not give to see their faces?

Sakura would pay to see the faces of those who always stared down at her, the ones who always believed that she would not succeed as kunoichi. The weakest, they called her behind her back.

She knew as she walked down the streets, marching painfully slow, that she was definitely strong.

No one… would be able to endure the heartache. No one would find the courage to leave while the person you love the most is sleeping, having no idea that you will be forever gone. She left without a word or a note. She was leaving and she was taking his heart with her. Slowly the pink-haired girl stared at the grey sky and shivered slightly as she realized that a storm was coming. Maybe the skies were feeling her pain. Maybe the skies would cry the tears that she so stubbornly refused to let go.

Sakura kept walking, the sharp pain inside her chest ached as if her heart was on fire. Her heart was flaming… flaming with despair, flaming with deceiving hopes that a miracle would come.

A dry sob instantly came out of her mouth as her green orbs stopped at the enormous gates, the green dark forest waiting for her. Sakura eyes stopped on the silhouette that was standing by the gates. She nodded in a resigned way at Sarutobi who had a serene expression on his old features. He waved at her, greeting her back.

She finally reached the gates, her eyes stared in surprise at the old man extended arm, a brown bag in his hand, "I took the liberty to prepare you a small traveling bag," said Sarutobi, his lips curved upwards at her thankful expression. He noticed that she had nothing else with her.

"Thank you," said Sakura as she held the bag. A long moment of silence passed while she stared at the forest, "It feels strange…" said Sakura at last, "like a wheel has started to spin abnormally fast," she added with a long sigh. The nervous feeling in her stomach… it didn't seem as if it was going to disappear any time soon.

"Hmm, the same wheel of fate you have been playing with…" Sakura stared at him, her rosy swollen lips parted, confusion was evident in her eyes, "You can feel them… the consequences making their way toward you, isn't that right?"

A gust of wind rose at the Third's words. Her pink hair flew away in every direction. She gulped, then forced herself to stay put. She could not think of it right now. If she were going to leave, she would have to do it while she still had time, while she did not have any second thoughts.

"It's difficult to let go," Sakura eyed the old man, surprised at his gentle tone of voice, "There are things that we never want to let go, people that we do not want to leave behind…" Sarutobi paused, his intense gaze analyzed her tired and worried pale features, "You have to understand that you do not belong here,"

Sakura lips pressed tightly at his words. She knew he was right. She did not belong there. But it was too late now. She had forged bonds… true bonds that she thought she would never be able to built… after… what happened with team seven.

"I know," she whispered, a sad smile in her ghost-like face, "I know," she repeated strongly.

"Sakura-chan!" A familiar voice made her blood freeze. Sakura eyes expanded as she looked down at Kenji, "Sakura-chan…" the young boy paused as he bent forward, his hands on his knees, trying to calm down his heavy-breathing, "we have been looking everywhere for you!"

Sakura's sudden strength dissipated away. Kenji looked straight at the pink-haired girl as he straightened up, his deep brown eyes stared at the brown bag in her hands, "are you going somewhere?" he asked, pointing at the bag.

The old man stepped forward towards Rin's brother as Sakura already pale face got paler. Sakura stepped backwards, her heart threatening to stop at any moment. She eyed the small boy with tears forming in her green orbs. Dammit, she couldn't… she wouldn't cry. She had promised herself.

"Sakura-chan…" Kenji whispered as she turned her back on him.

"Kenji," Sarutobi's voice stopped Sakura from running away, "Sakura is going on a small mission,"

Kenji looked at the old man and then towards the pink-haired girl back, "Oh," he said, his confused face changing to his usual one, "Sakura-chan, will you be gone for long?"

Sakura half-turned around and forced a smile on her face, "I'll be back before you can blink!" she added in a fake cheerful voice. Kenji grinned back at her, not noticing the fake tone.

"Be back soon!" the young boy exclaimed as he dashed towards her, embracing her in a tight hug.

Sakura was surprised at his tight grip. She was not sure if she was imagining it, but she had the odd sensation that he knew that she wasn't going to come back. She hugged him back, fighting back the tears that she wanted so badly to cry at this point.

"Good-bye," she muttered under her breath as she messed the boy's hair, "Watch out for your brother and sister while I'm gone, will you?"

Kenji nodded and walked back to Sarutobi's side. He smiled softly at the pink-haired girl as she shot him a last look before he lost her from his sight, the tall trees hiding her, taking her away to her unknown destiny. Kenji turned to look at the old man.

Sarutobi eyes were still on the forest as if he could see deeper than he could. As if he could see things, that no one else could. Kenji tucked at the man's sleeve, "She's not coming back is she?"

The old man offered him a sympathetic smile, "You always been the smart one, haven't you?" Sarutobi asked, taking the boy along with him, "Sakura has her own path to follow now,"

Kenji looked up at the old man and nodded. He was not sure what that was supposed to mean, but it did not matter. Sakura had to return… for nee-san's sake.

* * *

Rin took a deep breath as she turned around and marched down the street. Her trek was quick and her brown eyes were wide-open, alert, trying to spot a certain pink-haired girl. She had been looking for Sakura since this morning.

The last night words haunted the medic-nin's mind as she carried on her search. A void filled her soul when after a few hours; she realized that Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

She had not even come home last night.

The brunette girl knew she had been unfair. She allowed her bitter side to come to the surface and could only watch impotently, like a mere spectator as the strange Rin took over her confused and torn emotions. Sure, she felt guilty but she also felt a lot better. The heavy weight, the words stuck in her throat were gone, the air around her seemed to be cleaner and she could now breathe easy.

She checked the training fields, the graveyard, the Ramen shop, the nearest inn, the hospital, the Hokage tower, everywhere but one place.

She suddenly turns left and finds herself facing his house. How was she supposed to tell him? How was she supposed to tell him about their fight? What was he going to think about it? Would he blame her? Would he hate her?

Her heart stung at her final thought. She would not be able to endure it if the silver-haired nin hated her.

A cold shivered descended her spine as she stepped forward to his door. She could hear her frantic heart beat.

"Sakura-chan," she whispered softly, the palm of her hand caressed Kakashi's door softly.

Rin took a deep breathe and nodded to herself. She could do it. Softly, she knocked at the door.

Inside, on the messy bed, a lone figure shifted to the left, his eyes slowly opened. Kakashi let out a small yawn and looked at the empty space. He quickly sat up and shoved his blankets away. Why did she leave? Where had she gone to?

He slowly stood up and his hand rubbed his stomach. A strange terrifying feeling possessed him as he made his way to the corridor. It looked like someone was at the door. The knocks had become louder, almost desperate knocks. He spotted his pants on the floor and quickly put them on.

"Alright! I'm coming!" he half-shouted as he hurried toward the door. He sighed deeply and opened the door. His eyes fell on the brunette girl who looked back at him, her eyes filled with tears.

Kakashi suddenly felt scared, his heart beat became faster and faster as he stood there lost at words staring at the medic-nin.

Rin looked at Kakashi's naked face and torso. She quickly lowered her head, her brown hair hiding her crying features. She tried to calm down so that she could be able to say something, but there was something more inside her. Her heart beat was fiercely driving her insane, nudging her to say everything she wanted to say, to risk it, because she might lose her opportunity to find out the truth.

The air suddenly became almost unreachable around them. Kakashi slowly moved aside so that she could get inside. Rin stepped forwards, not once staring at him.

"R-Rin?" Kakashi whispered as he quietly closed the door behind them. When he received no answer he began to worry. What had happened?, "Rin?" the silver-haired nin asked again, "Rin please say something,"

Rin's head slowly lifted and she opened her mouth to say something but instead a large sniffling sob came out. Kakashi swallowed dry as he closed the space between them. It was painfully to see Rin's crying.

The brunette-haired girl did not answer and only kept on crying. Kakashi wrapped one of his warm arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He shushed her until her uncontrollable sobs were only soft sniffles.

"Why are you crying? Did something happen?" he asked, kissing her forehead afterwards. His thoughts were torn between the crying girl and a certain pink-haired girl that mysteriously disappeared.

"K-Kakashi-kun?" Rin asked shaky.

"Yeah?" The silver-haired jounin answered rubbing her back as she leaned closer to him.

"D-do yy-you love me?" Rin asked looking up at him.

His mismatched eyes widened in shock for a moment before he smiled sadly at her. His heart lurched with something painful as if he got stabbed without warning. He surely did not expect that question. He had always been conscious about her feelings, since they were genins. He had always hoped that she would find someone else, a better person, someone that could love her back.

"Rin… you look tired. I think you should go get some sleep," Kakashi said.

"No!" She said tightening her grip on his arm. "Answer the question!"

"Rin you know you're very important to me…" Kakashi began.

Her whole body froze, became like ice and felt as if it broke in tiny pieces. Pieces that you could not glue back, ever again.

"No… Kakashi… it's either you do or don't!" She cried, "J-just answer the question," Rin insisted, she needed to hear it, clear and loud that he did not love her. She wanted to memorize his haunting and hurtful words so that she could remind herself, that she was nothing to him, just a mere teammate, a burden that he promised to always look after.

Kakashi remained silent hanging his head. Rin looked up at him disbelieving and hurt before pushing herself away from him, "I knew it. I was right," Rin started, her whole body shivered but she paid no mind to it, "A burden… Oh God," one her hand clutched to her chest, "Oh God Kakashi! Why? Why didn't you just walk away from your promise? Am I so pitiable that you had to stand your ground and just pretend to care a-about m-me?!"

She shattered her own heart into smaller pieces as she spat those unwanted and hurtful words.

Kakashi looked up at Rin. His eyes seemed like ice to her and she consciously trembled strongly. She stepped away noticing that she had angered him.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said at last, his voice was low and dark.

He could not believe that she had said that. He could not believe that she thought that he pitied her...

"Say…" she paused, "Say t-t-that you love me!" she cried shaking her head.

Kakashi made his way towards her and hugged her hard ignoring her effort to push him away. Rin finally gave up and continued to sob. He did not say anything to ease or increase her distress.

"Rin?" Kakashi whispered into her hair.

The brown haired girl looked up at him tears still staining her cheeks. Slowly he reached up and wiped away a few tears that were about to make their way down her face.

"You deserve so much more than me," Kakashi said, his mismatched eyes staring down at her.

Rin gasped as she stared at his crimson eye. Obito's eye. They were both refusing her, they were both rejecting her.

"B-but I want you! YOU! D-don't you get it? P-please say you want me too…"

"I care way too much about you to lie," Kakashi said closing his eyes. This was becoming harder.

Rin's anger flared up and she tried to pull herself away from his tight and warm embrace. More tears fell down her pale features like cascades. She carried on pulling even though she knew she couldn't get away from Kakashi's tight grip.

"Let me go!!" Rin sobbed punching him in the chest. Kakashi kept her close refusing to let her go, "Then why? Why can't you love me…" she asked as she stopped moving.

She laughed softly as she stared at his pleadingly eyes. Rin knew why. She just wanted him to tell her. She wanted to hear him saying.

Kakashi was silent for a moment before his lips moved, his voice was faint, barely a whisper. With his head down, Rin could not read his lips nor hear him clearly, but somehow she had heard it.

"Sakura,"

Rin finally freed herself and walked towards his door. She slowly opened it while Kakashi remained in the middle of the corridor looking at her trembling back, with pitiful and sorry eyes.

She slowly turned around. There were no more tears to cry. She had heard what she wanted to know. Rin swallowed dry and opened her mouth, "She's gone. Sakura is gone," then she turned her back on him and stepped outside.

Her eyes stared at the dark-grey sky that forced the sun to hide. It seemed as if a storm was coming. The winter along with it.

"What do you mean she's gone?" he asked her, his mismatched eyes were wide and panic could be read in them.

Rin did not turn away to look at him, "I've looked everywhere for her since this morning,"

Kakashi heart almost exploded against his chest. He omitted that the pink-haired girl had spent the morning in his house, "Are you sure? Maybe s-she just-"

"NEE-SAN!"

Both of them quickly glanced at the running boy. He stopped between them a smile plastered in his face clearly not realizing their cold mood, "I saw Sakura-chan!"

"Where?" Kakashi quickly asked.

_Did you really leave?_

"I saw her at the gates! The third was with her. He said Sakura-chan was going on a small mission," Kenji said, noticing now their rigid postures.

Rin eyes widened at Kenji's response. So she was right. Sakura-chan really did leave.

"When?!" Kakashi asked kneeling down, his arms shook the young boy.

Kenji gulped at Kakashi's scared face. He thought Kakashi was never scared, "I… almost one hour ago,"

Kakashi didn't know what to think. He let go of the boy and stood up. Small droplets of rain fell down on them. The sky could no longer hold back.

"Kakashi," Rin said, surprising herself and him with her cool and collected voice. She slowly turned around and looked at him, "I go pack. You go and try to find out where she is heading to,"

Kakashi nodded and quickly turned around.

There was no time to lose.

_Sakura… why?_

* * *

Sakura suddenly stops; she stretches her arms and looks at the crying sky. A gentle wind brushed through her skin, a cold feeling traveled down her spine.

She needed to hurry. The pink-haired girl quickly looked behind her shoulder. She could no longer see the tall Konoha's gates which was a good sign. However, she could not see yet the borders. She was still in the fire country domain, she could still easily be found.

Fighting back the tears that she so badly wanted to let go, she dashed between the trees, her heart raced at the adrenaline, at the feeling of letting him go.

Did Sasuke feel like this when he walked away? Did Sasuke feel this broken at every step he took?

Sakura shook her head, those thoughts only made her feel worse. Her emerald eyes are wide opened as she carries on, running, never stopping.

_Don't look back_, she told herself over and over again.

But it was easier said than done.

Because behind her, was everything she came to love, a possible life that she could have lived.

Behind her were the many, 'what if'

She chocked back a sob, "I do not regret it," she whispered, "For you Naruto… for you,"

Because in the end that bond was the strongest one. Despite her heartache, despite her strong need to go back and bury her head in his strong chest.

Naruto would have done the same for her. Naruto had always been there for her and she never had the opportunity to pay him back.

She smiled at the sweet mental picture that her head displayed for her over and over again.

A young Naruto at his mother's lap. Minato-sensei making funny faces. A sulking Kakashi because he had to babysit and a sweet-smiling Rin by his side.

Because that's how things should be.

* * *

His blue eyes darted away from the silver-haired jounin. He stared at the old man who was smiling a secret smile. Sarutobi looked back at Minato, his face quickly fell into a blank mask, and the smile vanished at once as if it never been there before.

"Sarutobi," Minato started, "Where did you send the girl to?"

Sarutobi eyebrows rose. It amazed him how blindly he trusted his student. He did not even ask him if it was true.

"Ahh, the pink-haired girl you mean?" asked Sarutobi ignoring Kakashi cold glare.

Minato arched a blonde eyebrow; his face showed the impatience he was feeling, "Yes," he finally said.

"I don't know where she is heading to," said Sarutobi as he walked closer to the window. He looked down at the streets; the heavy rain looked like a long curtain that fell down from the sky. A curtain that danced with the wind. His eyes widened slightly as he saw her.

Rin, the medic-nin running down the street. A backpack on her back.

"I received Tsunade's letter and I simply delivered it to the girl," Sarutobi answered turning around.

Minato nodded and looked at Kakashi, "If she's going to Tsunad-"

"That's not it!" Kakashi said, gritting his teeth as he looked at them, "It's something more… I… please Minato-sensei,"

The blonde-haired man looked at Kakashi, "Kakashi I think we both know that something like this was bound to happen sometime soon,"

Kakashi shook his head, "You don't understand,"

"Very well, go gather a party search team," said Minato noticing the light in his student eye, "Kakashi, do not force her to come back,"

Kakashi was suddenly taken back with his sensei words. Sarutobi quickly turned around and peeked through the window. The brown-haired girl was long gone.

"B-but-"

"Trust me Kakashi… Jiraiya and Tsunade are hiding something from us, the very same thing Sakura is hiding from us," Minato said noticing that Kakashi had realized it as well, "If Sakura left it's because she does not wish to stay,"

Kakashi slowly shook his head, "She wants to stay…" he whispered before he left the Hokage's office.

_Don't you Sakura?_

* * *

Rin took another soldier pill and quickly ran between the trees, cursing under her breath as the heavy rain made it harder to track the pink-haired girl down. She jumped up to one of the tree branches; her brown eyes scanned the area for a clue, for anything at all that indicated that Sakura had been there. Rin sighed when she saw nothing, nothing at all. She did not stop though, she carried on. She was going to find Sakura… for_ him._

If she couldn't be happy, at least she wanted him to be. She wanted him to carry on smiling. His smiles were already a rare sight even with the pink-haired girl presence.

The medic-nin took another soldier pill as she jumped to another tree branch. She was not doing it only for him. She was doing it also for her.

Sakura had been the link, the replacing piece of a broken puzzle. Sakura had brought them hope, had made them see that life was not yet over with them. Sakura made her laugh and made her smile again. More importantly, Sakura brought him back to life.

Before her, Kakashi was a ghost, his eyes only saw his lost friend, and his eyes only saw her, the girl he had to take care of. That's what Rin was. A promise, a promise that the silver-haired young man held to, that kept him going.

But not anymore.

He could go now on his own. He had Sakura now.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Rin called out as she ran forward, "Sakura-chan…"

* * *

It was too dark to carry on. Sakura came to a final stop as she spotted a good place to rest for the night. The tall trees protected her from the most of the rain. The sky roared and flashed to life, illuminating her slender figure for a few seconds. Sakura had dark rings around her eyes, her nose 

and cheeks had become red. She wished that she had remembered to bring something warm. That's when she remembered. The blanket.

Her shivering hands opened the bag and she pulled out the brown blanket. She quickly placed it around her, feeling no difference of temperature. She was already soaking wet, her pink-hair glued to her face.

She slowly placed herself close to the tree, leaning her back against the tree body. She could still feel a few particles of rain falling down on her but it was better than carrying on under the intense rain that the trees could not offer protection to. A long sigh escaped her almost purple lips as she stared ahead, her emerald eyes lost in the darkness.

Her mind played the sound of kisses, the sound of their moans, the sound of her name coming out of his sweet lips. She shivered more fiercely, clenched her jaw and tried to think of something else. It was too late.

She remembered it so clearly, the emotion in his eyes. That look that she would never forget. The look that told her that he wanted her, the look that told her that he needed her… the look that told her he loved her.

Tears escaped her eyes and she became mad at herself. While he looked at her so tenderly, having no idea… she had looked back at him with a look that told him good-bye.

Her cries became louder, she hugged herself bringing the blanket closer and not noticing the shadowed figures approach her. They came soundless like a thief comes in the night. Her head was down; her shoulders trembled with each sob.

"Sakura Haruno," a cold male voice echoed through the air, reaching her ears.

Slowly, she looked up at the masked ANBU in front of her. Her vision was somewhat blurry so she wiped her tears away, a last sob escaping her lips. She forced herself up, dropping the blanket to the floor. Her eyes fell on the masked ANBU. She noticed two others behind him still shielded by the darkness.

"Yes?" Sakura questioned, her heart thumping stronger and faster.

"We have orders to take you with us," the same ANBU spoke, "We do not wish to harm you so we ask you not to show any resistance,"

Sakura nodded slowly taking in the ANBU words. Her eyes were still looking at the shadowed figures. Had Minato-sensei ordered them to bring her back? Would not Sarutobi intervene for her?

The pink-haired girl stepped back, her back met the tree. The ANBU remained still, waiting for a response.

"I cannot go with you," Sakura said at last, "Go back and tell the Hokage that I have a mission to complete,"

There was a snort, she couldn't tell either it was from the ANBU she was speaking with or from the hidden figures.

"You do not understand," the ANBU replied, "We cannot go back without you,"

Something in the back of her mind told her to run. However, she stood firm, her emerald eyes on the ANBU figure.

"Then you leave me no choice but to resist," Sakura said, swallowing dry.

The ANBU stepped forward, "Don't be foolish," there was a warning tone in his voice, "You are surrounded,"

Her eyes widened. Why would Minato-sensei send an ANBU battalion after her? Something was clearly not right.

Sakura instantly adopted a defensive position, "I'm not going," she muttered darkly. Suddenly the weight of the note in her pocket seemed to have become heavier as if it was reminding her of the task in hand.

"You have no-"

The ANBU quickly jumped backwards as three kunai flew straight at him. Sakura did not lose any time, she ran towards him, fist ready to hit its target.

She narrowed her eyes as her fist met a piece of wood. The ANBU had used a replacement technique. She looked straight at the other two ANBU that did not seem to have the intention to fight her.

Good. She would not stand a chance fighting three ANBU at the same time.

The hair of the back of her neck stood up as she felt a presence behind her. She quickly turned around and blocked the ANBU kick. Her hand held his ankle. The ANBU sounded surprised when he tried to pull his leg back. He cried out in pain as his leg bones broke.

Sakura quickly let go of his leg and hurried towards his stumbling figure. With the palm of her hand she hit his chest and sent him flying across the forest. His tall and strong body hit several trees until he finally stopped, far away, unconscious or probably dead.

She quickly focused on the other two ANBU. Sakura's heart began to beat faster. The look on her eyes was piercing, intimidating. Her emerald eyes began to grow bleary as the two ANBU took slow steps towards her.

One of the ANBU quickly stood by her side a kunai ready in hand. The two of them quickly teamed up and attacked her. Sakura could see by their attacks that they had no intention to kill her. Wound her perhaps, but there was no killing intention.

She thanked Kakashi for training with her. She was quite surprised at how easy it was to avoid to be hit. Right, left, down, up. She avoided them all. The medic-nin never noticed her progresses as she fought with the copy-nin but right there, in the middle of the forest, so close to the border, she noticed how much she had improved.

Not only was she faster, she moved without thinking, as if she was on automatic pilot.

Her eyes widened as she heard the sound of broken twigs behind her. Sakura gasped felt something painful hit her back. She avoided the other two ANBU's attack and jumped away to a considerable safe distance. Shit bit her lip as she stared at them. There were more two ANBU now.

She swallowed dry as she stared at the four of them.

"_You are surrounded,"_

She had no other choice. She dug her feet on the muddy ground and forced all the chakra she could gather.

Rocks, trees, pieces of wood, everything flew in every direction. The ground shook as if an earthquake had taken place. The standing trees that did not fell down with the impact, cracked. The sky roared again as she ran through the forest, short of breath.

Footsteps behind her.

* * *

Her brown eyes widened at the mess in front of her. She jumped down the tree and ran towards the chaos. Several trees had been ripped off the ground and were lying down, broken. Her lips parted as she spotted two bodies crushed by rocks. She quickly ran towards the bodies, her brown eyes stared in horror at their ANBU masks.

What in the god's name were the ANBU doing here? Were they after her? Had Minato-sensei sent them after her and Sakura?

Rin was startled at the sound of an explosion not too far away from her. There was a loud scream. Rin heart almost stopped at the sound of the familiar voice.

Panicking she hurried towards the explosion sound, another soldier pill ready in her hand.

* * *

Anko stopped and looked to the left; her light grey eyes stared at the darkness of the forest in wonder.

"Hey," she called out to the others, "I think I heard something,"

The silver-haired jounin landed right at her side, his eyes gazed at the darkness as if he could see beyond it.

Another figure landed at her other side, his thick eyebrows narrowed, "Are you sure?" he asked as he glanced sideways at the silver-haired boy. He had never seen his rival looking like this.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gemna said walking past them, "Let's get going,"

They all nodded except Kakashi. He dashed forward at an incredible speed without saying a word.

Anko and Gemna traded worried looks.

"YOSH!" The boy with thick eyebrows said as he stared ahead, his speed matching the copy-nin.

* * *

Sakura flew backwards landing on her side. Three ANBU had already caught up to her. She quickly stood up, ignoring the pain of her left broken arm. She needed all the chakra to defeat them so she could not heal herself yet. Sakura glared at the ANBU who had kicked her.

She had placed him under an illusion but it seemed that it did not work against him. He had quickly dispelled it and caught her by surprise.

"Do not offer more resistance," The same ANBU who had kicked her said as he stepped toward her.

Sakura stepped back, fear now evident in her emerald eyes. How was she going to defeat them, especially when more of them just kept coming?

"Get lost," Sakura spat as she ran towards him. The ANBU looked surprised at how she was still able to move her broken arm in that condition.

Sakura forced her arm upwards, a crack rushed through her and she winced painfully. Another ANBU appeared at her side unexpectedly. Sakura tried to complete the seal but in vain. The ANBU had hit her side sending her to floor. The ANBU that had broken her arm crouched next to her and pulled her hair.

Sakura bit her lip forcing herself not to cry in pain.

"Give me the rope," the ANBU asked to the other.

"Stop it right there!"

Sakura cried at the other female voice. She forced her head upwards ignoring the ANBU grip on her hair. She looked at Rin, tears falling down her wounded and dirty face.

"You look like a mess," said Rin as she placed a hand on her hip, "You can let her go now. I will take her to the Hokage," Rin brown eyes narrowed slightly at the four ANBU figures that showed some dithering at her request.

"R-Rin!" Sakura exclaimed, her emerald eyes in horror, "Run!"

Rin looked at the pink-haired girl in confusion, "Don't be-" her eyes widened as one of the ANBU came running towards her, a kunai in his hand, "N-Nani?" Rin asked in shock.

"Rin!" Sakura exclaimed as she watched impotently as the other two ANBU also rushed towards the brown-haired girl.

Rin avoided the first ANBU attacks, her head spinning, her thoughts a confused maze inside her head. They were attacking her… they were also after Sakura. What the hell was going on?

She was caught off guard as the ANBU disappeared and appeared behind her, kicking her back. Rin's eyes widened at the pain but mostly at the other two ANBU that were right in front of her. One of the ANBU remained behind watching as it's partner dashed forward, stabbing a kunai right into the girl's chest.

Sakura cried out in pure horror. A rage of chakra shot through her body, "LET GO!" she yelled, punching the ANBU away. The ANBU yelped and let go of her hair, his both hands held his throat where he had been hit. The air was not coming no matter how he tried to suck in.

The medic-nin tried to reach Rin. The ANBU who had remained behind turned around and performed a quick simple seal. Sakura gasped as the plants on the ground firmly attached themselves to her legs. She tripped as she tried to move forward, despite fully knowing that she couldn't move. 

Soon enough, her whole body was covered with green wet plants that held her firmly to the ground.

"I'LL GO!" She yelled, tears falling down, chocking her, "I'll go… d-don't, p-please let her go!"

Rin fell down to her knees, her hand was glowing green, healing the wound on her chest. Her brown eyes were wide in shock; they were staring in Sakura's direction.

"Finish her," the ANBU who had performed the seal said, "Now," he added upon seeing his other two hesitations.

"NOOOO!" Sakura's scream echoed through the forest as a sharp kunai sliced the brunette's throat.

There was a deafening silence afterwards. Sakura remained still as the ANBU who had ordered the others to kill Rin approached her. He crouched next to her and caressed her crying features. Sakura did not even recoil at his touch. She carried on staring at Rin's body.

The rain washed the blood off the ground.

Sakura sobbed uncontrollable as the plants around her disappeared. She felt herself being lifted up and showed no resistance, her eyes paused on the small lifeless body.

She heard cries of pain around her but she did not paid attention to them. She could only see Rin's brown eyes staring back at her.

"Rin…" She whispered as she collided to the floor. She winced at the pain of her broken arm. Sakura was suddenly startled when right in front of her the body of the ANBU who had been carrying her, fell lifeless.

She slowly turned around; her whole body trembled with the shock of watching her friend die. Her blurry emerald eyes widened as she stared at him. The man in front of her.

"Sakura,"

When he spoke her name a chill ran down her spine. Sakura frowned in sheer disbelieve.

"S-S-Sasuke-kun,"

Sasuke looked indifferent, cold, and unsympathetic, like he boy she used to know.

By the time Sakura called out his name, he had already turned around and never saw her expression.

"Seems like I have arrived too late," he said as he stared at the dead body not too far away from them, "Sorry,"

The silence ruled once again.

The skies carried on crying that night. The sounds of broken twigs were dampening by the heavy rain. The ground became muddy and at every step she took, there were few splashes, particles of mud landed on her bare feet and ankles.

She walked ignoring the pain her body endured. Ignoring his prying look. She shut her thoughts that revolved around the dark-haired boy that silently followed her.

Her feet bled due to the multiple cuts caused by the rocky muddy ground. She did not pay attention to her wounds, the minor ache was nothing compared to the void hole that filled her broken heart.

She came to a sudden stop; her knees shook violently as her green crystal like eyes stared at the coiled body in front of her. Her mouth opened but not a word, or a sound came. The kunoichi forced her heavy, numb legs forward. Her breathing became heavy as her heartbeat thumped strongly against her chest.

"No…" she whispered, her pink-hair obscured her teary eyes. Her hands trembled as she kneeled next to the bloodied body. A loud sob escaped her dry wounded lips as she stared at the brunette girl features.

There was a large cut across her throat, blood was still leaking. Her eyes were swollen beyond imaginable. Slowly, her hands still trembling, Sakura carefully held Rin's wrist. A faint pulse.

Her eyes widened. How could she still be alive?

"No… no, no, no," said Sakura, between sobs. Her hands instantly glowed green.

A drop of sweat fell down her face and mixed itself with her tears. Sakura pressed her both hands on the brunette's throat. She could feel her blood stream slowing down at a rapid pace, her heart squeezing, thumping slowly, ready to stop at any second.

"Rin!" Sakura exclaimed exasperated, tasting her salt tears, "Don't die on me! Don't…"

Sakura's world became dizzier as she forced more chakra, her last bit of chakra. She could not let her die, not Rin. She would now allow anyone else to die… not Rin…

A mix of desperate and relief sound escaped her lips as Rin's eye fluttered open.

"S-Sakura-chan," Rin whispered, wincing from the horrible pain of her wounds. More blood leaked out as she spoke.

"Rin!" Sakura exclaimed, letting out another loud sob. Her green chakra started to falter but she paid no attention, "Y-you are going to be okay. Don't talk!" Sakura added with a short unconvincing nod.

Rin closed her eyes and a small smile adorned her different face, "It's okay," she muttered quietly, "You have no chakra left… p-please s-save it, y-you will need it,"

"N-no," Sakura eyes widened at her words, "No!" she said more fiercely, "You can't talk! Rin don't talk!" Sakura panicking said as more blood escaped the brunette's wounds.

"Sak-kk-kura," Rin stuttered, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, "t-take good care of them,"

Sakura sobs increased, tears fell more freely as her last bit of chakra disappeared. The last strengths in her body vanished and she felt herself fall next to Rin's wounded body. She slowly turned her head and met Rin's dying form.

"Y-you are now… all they have," she said, closing her eyes, "I'm glad to have met you,"

"R-Rin…" Sakura whispered, tears still falling like a wild river driven by a storm.

"I will see him now," Rin smiled and coughed lightly, "O-Obito-kun," her final words came above a whisper, a smile adorned her face even in death.

Sakura body trembled with her silent crying; her stretching hands touched the brunette girl muddy hair.

"SAKURA!!"

The pink-haired girl felt ill as she heard his yell. She tried to stand up but fell right to the floor. Her whole world was spinning around. Sasuke looked at the pink-haired girl and frowned. He stretched an arm to her which she accepted. He helped her to stand up and she leaned against him for support.

She quickly forgot all her confused thoughts. Why was Sasuke in front of her? How was that possible? How… how and how? She quickly threw all the questions away… she just wanted to tell him to take her away before—

"No… No… Rin… RIN!"

* * *

_A/N: So I'm a really evil person. I'm sorry… so sorry for all those that loved sweet Rin. I loved her too and I still do! I always had it planned her destiny since the beginning, I changed my mind a couple of times about it but I stuck with the original plan…_

_Please don't forget to Review. I hope the fighting part was not that confusing._


	19. Dezanove

Flaming Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto… blah blah.

_A/N: Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I noticed some of you are really confused about how and why is Sasuke there. You will have all your answers answered in this chapter! I hope O.O _

_Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

* * *

It was a sad time. Not just for Kakashi, but for the rest of the world. It was cold. It was dark. The sky, the life, the world around him had turned it's back on him long time ago. A small voice whispered in the back of his mind, nudged him to wake up. At this time, he would give anything to wake up. He would do anything to make sure it was a dream. But, it was no dream. No dream or nightmare could be this cruel.

The dark blue sky seemed to be darkening as time went by in a slow pace. The wind was not soft, it was harsh, like a whip that kept hitting him. Everything seemed to be in slow motion; as if time was scared to move forward.

Kakashi felt as if he was drowning in a sea of blackness. No sound, none at all. The silver-haired nin couldn't even hear himself breathing. He couldn't see anything, not a thing. Kakashi's lips parted, he tried to speak, his lips moved as he called for help, for her name. But, no sound came out of his mouth.

He could not even think, incapable of any coherent thoughts. His eyes started to water as a bitter coldness overwhelmed his body. Slowly he kneeled down next to the brown-haired medic-nin. His trembling hands pulled his famous mask and a single teardrop fell down his pale features, landing on Rin's forehead.

Kakashi gently held her body close to him. His arms tightened around her thin motionless form, ignoring the blood around him.

"Kami… p-please… Rin…" he whispered softly.

Sakura fingers tightened around the Uchiha arms when Kakashi leaned forward and kissed Rin's dry lips.

Sasuke's dark eyes gazed at the trembling form of his sensei with a blank expression. His expressionless features suddenly changed to a wincing one. He glanced sideways to the scared, wounded kunoichi, whose grip on him seemed to be increasing.

The pink-haired girl swallowed dry, feeling the soreness on her throat. She slowly took a careful step towards the copy-nin, a quiet sob escaped her as he gently placed Rin's body and stood. Kakashi turned and looked straight at Sakura and gave her a look.

His look was so fiery that penetrated her soul.

Sakura emerald eyes widened.

"K-Kakashi…" her voice broke the cold silence and the wind seemed to have slowed down along with the rain.

Kakashi eyes darted away from her and stopped on the figure behind her, "That's why you left?" he asked, finding his voice.

Sakura heart dropped at the accusing tone of his voice. She quickly noticed that he was glaring at Sasuke.

"No! That's not why-"

"You whore,"

A fierce slap made him jerk his head to the side. Sakura retrieved her hand and clutched on to her chest tightly. Her lower lip trembled as she stepped backwards still facing him.

"I-if you c-could only let m-m-me explain then I-"

"Save it," Kakashi dark voice interrupted her, "I can't listen to another word of yours anymore. You poisoned us with your lies, with your secrets. You killed Rin," Kakashi finished, his gaze falling on the several ANBU corpses.

She gasped as those words left his lips.

There was a noise somewhere near them. No one bothered to check what it was. They recognized their chakra signatures. There was a second gasp and the sound of their footsteps became clearer as they walked towards the silver-haired nin. Sakura heard Sasuke approach her with a grave look on his face.

"R-Rin…" Anko exclaimed while a hand covered her mouth.

A younger version of Gai crouched next to Rin's body, tears forming in his eyes.

Gemna placed a comforting hand on Anko's shoulder.

Kakashi slowly turned around and picked Rin's body. He started to walk away; the others glanced between Kakashi and Sakura with confused looks plastered on their faces.

Sakura darted forward, her numb legs gave away and she stumbled down. She let out a loud cry as she fought to stand up with no avail. All of her strengths had abandoned her. Her green orbs were blurry but she could see his distorted figure walking away. The pink-haired girl opened her mouth but nothing, not a sound came. Her mind screamed at her to say something, to make him stop.

"The ANBU were targeting Sakura,"

Sasuke voice surprised Sakura. She heard him crouch next to her; he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her up effortlessly, "They fought side by side against a group of ANBU. They were trying to save each other lives,"

"S-Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered as she saw Kakashi stop.

Kakashi eyes widened in recognition. He came to a sudden stop and fought the urge to turn around.

"_Then there was Sasuke… h-he was blind with vengeance… and and one day he… he left us in search f-for more power. He left us… Naruto and I…"_

Kakashi's body was trembling as if he had slipped under cold water. His head was under a mass of grey clouds. Rin's limp body weighted more than ever.

"P-please Kakashi…" said Sakura as she held on Sasuke's arm for support.

Kakashi could feel the other's eyes on him. He stared at Gemna that slowly shook his head.

"We have to report this, Kakashi," said Gemna as he looked straight to the silver-haired nin mismatched eyes, "A group of ANBU acted on someone else orders… this is serious,"

Kakashi nodded slowly, and then he looked behind her shoulder. His jaw hardened as he noticed Sasuke's arm around Sakura's waist.

"You want to go so badly… then go," Kakashi then turned around and quickly disappeared from her sight. The others shot her an accusing look before they too disappeared.

"KAKASHI!" Sakura shouted as she stretched her arm. Her legs no longer managed to stay firm on the ground even with Sasuke's support.

The Uchiha arched an amused eyebrow as he quickly picked her up.

"You still let your emotions control you… pathetic," he whispered as Sakura closed her eyes and allowed him to carry her on the opposite direction.

* * *

A tall figure stood hidden by the shadows between the tall and silent trees. His blonde hair moved along with the soft breeze, his eyes were staringto the dark sky where the stars were lying and shinning down on him. The full orange-reddish full moon was high in the sky illuminating his surroundings as much as the stars were. The man deep blue eyes stared wonderingly to the mysterious moon.

Something in the air that night kept whispering soft warnings to his ears. Something deep inside of him was keeping him uneasy, warily to everything and everyone as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Because, he knew something was about to happen. He just could not press his finger at what exactly was going to happen, but he knew. The deepness of his soul screamed at the top of his lungs that it was not something good.

"Minato?" a voice whispered from behind him.

He did not need to turn around to see who it was, "It's coming," he told her quietly. His voice was calm and smooth. His blue eyes still set on the stars.

The young woman placed herself at his left side, her hand searched for his and she held tightly to it. Her eyes travelled towards the same stars he was staring at.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he answered promptly, "But whatever it is that is coming..."

The young woman turned her head towards him. Her eyes filled with worry, "Let's hope that you're wrong," she told him softly.

"Hai," he answered as he slowly turned to look down at her. He offered her a weak smile and held the red-haired woman to his chest. She looked surprised at him. He hugged her tightly and she hesitantly hugged him back.

His hug seemed so different from all the others. It had a hint of urge in it. The hair of the back of her neck stood up as an odd thought crossed her mind. The hug felt more like a good-bye of some sorts.

"Let's go home," she whispered, ignoring the bad feeling on her stomach.

Minato nodded, "Let's go," he whispered back, for somehow he felt it was wrong to talk above a whisper.

They walked in silence; just enjoying each other company was good enough.

"Hokage-sama!"

Minato and Kushina both turned around to stare at a heavy-breathing Iruka. They both waited patiently for the boy to recover his breathe. Iruka slowly gazed at the Hokage's blue eyes.

"Hokage-sama… I bring bad news…"

Minato arched a blonde eyebrow, "What is it?" he asked as he heard Kushina gasp. Minato slowly turned around; his eyes stared at the Konoha's gates

He stood firm as he watched his student walk forward. Kakashi's eyes never leaving the small girl in his arms. Kakashi finally stopped, right in front of the blonde-haired man.

"Rin… Kami…" Kushina whispered fighting back a sob at the young girl's lifeless form.

Minato right hand gently tugged a lock of Rin's bloodied hair away from her face. His eyes scanned her peaceful face and then he looked up at his student. Kakashi avoided Minato's intent gaze.

"We let her die," Minato whispered, "by allowing that girl to stay…"

"Now now, Minato," another voice joined in, "you didn't know this would happen. No one could have known,"

Kakashi eyes stared at the old man, "You know… you know why she left don't you?"

Sarutobi nodded shortly, "Now is not the time,"

"Rin…" Minato whispered as his both hands covered his face.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes when she realized that Sasuke's speed began to falter. She shifted slowly and carefully in his arms, her emerald scans his pale features as if she is staring at him for the very first time. Sasuke is otherworldly and pale, his dark hair had grown more since the last time she saw him. Her jaw hardened at that thought, her eyes hardened as his dark eyes suddenly became crimson in the moonlight.

"Why?" the simple question fell like stones into water in the silence. Sasuke finally stopped and gently placed her down. Sakura stared at his chest somewhat hesitant to look straight at his red eyes. After a few seconds of an unbearable silence, she looked up. Sasuke meets her gaze, impassive and unchanging.

"Please," Sakura added, feeling lost and confused.

"It's…" Sasuke paused as he stared at the pink-haired girl. He wondered how much she had changed while he was gone. He wondered how much more she changed during her time here, in the past, "It's a long story," he finished, walking past her.

Sakura turned around and stared at his tall silhouette. He had his back turned on her.

"Sasuke…" Sakura voice was above a whisper, her breathing was becoming heavier and she fought with all of her strengths not to close her eyes again, for she knew as soon as she closed her eyes, she would fall to a deep sleep.

She was injured, though it was nothing that serious, she was still out of chakra and the fight with the ANBU nins left her weak, and desperate for some rest. Rin's death was also something she wanted to forget, the image of the brunette girl… the kunai on her neck still came to Sakura's mind. It was driving her mad. Even though she wanted to close her eyes and sleep forever, she also needed to hear what Sasuke had to say.

"After… after I succeeded in taking my revenge I came across another Uchiha," Sakura's face twisted in deep confusion. Far as she knew, the only remaining Uchiha's were Sasuke and his older brother. She pressed her lips together and allowed him to carry on, "Uchiha Madara,"

Sakura's eyes widened at the revelation. How could it be? She had heard many stories about Madara… but to think that he's still alive.

"Madara?" she whispered softly and watched as Sasuke nodded. He still had his back turned on her.

"He told me the reason why Itachi murdered my clan…" Sakura bit her lip as the dark-haired boy carried on, "Konoha elders ordered my brother to kill his own clan," Sakura gasped at the shocking revelation, "He wanted me to kill him… he wanted me to be a hero,"

Sakura shook her head at his revelation, "Ordered…" she repeated, her hand covered her mouth, "b-but…"

"Don't you see?" Sasuke turned around, his face emotionless as he stared at her, "The village you love so much it's corrupted. The same village that Naruto expects respect from," Sasuke snorted, "I must confess that my plan was to destroy Konoha, to bring it down to ruins,"

Sakura took a step back as Sasuke offered her a satisfying smile. Her mind started to spin around at the piece of information he had provided her. Her vision darkens, her stomach a lake of acid clawing its way back up her throat.

"That's when I came across the secrets. I found his hideout, I found the ancient scrolls he had in his possession. One of this scrolls contained the answer to all of my problems, all of our problems,"

Sakura lips parted as she stared at the boy in front of him. She realized now, that she was not as lost and confused as he was. Despite of what had happened, Rin's death… everything she went through so far… it was nothing compared to the pain he carried within his soul.

"You…" Sakura choked out a silent sob, "You… found a way to turn back time?"

Sasuke nodded shortly, "I followed the instructions closely and I needed just one last thing to complete the final jutsu. My chakra was not enough and I happened to know the right person with an incredible amount of chakra,"

"You used Naruto…" Sakura hissed angrily, "You used him! How could you? WHY? WHY would you do this? Just for the sake of your clan?! Why would you sacrifice the lives, the futures of others…" Sakura stops, her eyes wide open as Sasuke moves, so fast that she can't see it. Sakura is suddenly enfolded in a crushing, one-armed embrace.

She stiffens as she feels his cold peppermint breathe on her features, "When we fought, I told Naruto about my plan," Sasuke whispered on her right ear, "He asked me… to help him too,"

Sakura closes her eyes and leans forward, her forehead touched his chest, "T-the K-kyuubi…" she whispered softly in absolute understanding.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said as he pulled her away, "I didn't want you to get caught up in the jutsu,"

Sakura shook her head, "It's all right," she said finding her voice, "We'll do this together,"

"Hn," Sasuke looked at the bright orange full moon, his arms tightened around the pink-haired girl by his side.

Sakura took a closer look at the Uchiha and closed her eyes, "So what happened in Suna?"

Sasuke lips curved in a small discrete smile. He knew she had sensed him there. He then opened his mouth to reply but when he looked down at the medic-nin, she was fast asleep.

* * *

The small group stopped on a small house's roof. The masked figures turned to stare at the blonde-haired man behind them. The Yondaime had a fierce look on his blue eyes that clearly told everyone how bloodthirsty he was.

Minato made a hand sign and two ANBU nins quickly jumped from the roof towards the ground. Once on the ground they ran, each in the opposite direction. He stared at the temple; his eyes spotted two ANBU at the entrance. His eyes narrowed in displeasure. He quickly took two kunais out and nodded at the other ANBU.

The remaining ANBU followed the Hokage as he made his way towards the temple. Minato unmasked his chakra to see if the other ANBU nins, the ones who were keeping watch reaction. His eyebrows furrowed further as they stood still.

The Hokage came to a brusque stop as he noticed the reason why. His eyes widened at the shuriken stuck in their lifeless bodies forcing them back to the wall.

"Hokage-sama?" one of his ANBU asked, his voice was filled with uneasy. Minato ignored him and walked past the dead nins and entered the temple.

He made his way towards the main room. He was surprised to find the door open but more surprised to see the room filled with dead corpses.

A sudden noise startled him. Minato quickly turned around and noticed the previous two ANBU that he had sent to scout the temple for any enemy threats.

"He still breathes," one of the ANBU said.

Minato walked forward. He placed himself between the two nins and stared at Danzou. Without any ceremony, the Hokage placed a firm foot on the man's wounded chest.

"Traitor," Minato spat out, gritting his teeth, annoyed by the fact that someone had gotten to the old man first, "Speak," he commanded at Danzou's dying form.

The Hokage pressed his foot further making the old man to cough blood.

Danzou eyes widened at the excruciating pain, "U-Uchiha,"

"Uchiha?" Minato repeated dumbfounded.

"Uchiha f-from t-the f-ffff-future," Danzou had a cough attack. Minato waited patiently and emotionlessly, "Pink-haired girl…" he smiled wickedly at Minato's curious expression, "from the future… as well,"

* * *

The soft whimpers around him put Kakashi on edge, part of him just wanted to waltz right out of the funeral. Away from everyone, away from all the sympathetic looks he was receiving, away from the concern glances people kept giving him. Why? He was fine, this didn't affect him at all. He was fine, _damn it. He. Was. Fine._

What irked him the most was the fact of how fake and cynical these people were. Hadn't they spent most of their time saying mean things about Rin behind her back? Hadn't they looked down at her, making her feel like a cockroach, hated and unwanted, a bug that needed to be stepped down.

But before he could walk away...something stopped him.

Kakashi looked up, his irritated eyes getting lost in the calm blue above him. What stopped him from leaving? He peered at the sky, as though he expected to find the answer to his question floating there among the clouds.

"_Why are you crying? Did something happen?"_

"_**K-Kakashi-kun?" **_

"_Yeah?" _

"_**D-do yy-you love me?" **_

"_Rin… you look tired. I think you should go get some sleep,"_

"_**No! Answer the question!"**_

"_Rin you know you're very important to me…"_

"_**No… Kakashi… it's either you do or don't! J-just answer the question,"**_

Just as the words echoed in his head one final time, a chilling breeze drifted through the remaining crowd. The rays of the sun returned some of the missing warmth, but the cool air had settled upon them as if it could detect the melancholy state they were in and decided to keep them company.

The black coffin had finally descended all the way, a definite thud announcing the end of its journey. Hurriedly, two men began to fill the hole with neighboring dirt, brown engulfing the black.

Kakashi looked up, footsteps coming nearer to his person, until the two pairs of eyes momentarily met. Kenji looked away, but Kakashi recognized a type of maturity lurking in the depths of his eyes. The kind that could only be attained by age. Kenji's eyes were changing now that Rin was gone. She allowed her little brothers the chance to be kids, she allowed them to laugh like they used to, allowed them to smile like if they were just leading a normal life.

But now, she was gone...and both Kenji and Kenjiro had to grow up.

Kakashi noticed the other twin. Minato-sensei had a supporting hand on Kenjiro's shoulder while the young boy sobbed silently. Kakashi looked back at Kenji, who had not cried once since they told him the news. He had always been stronger.

Stronger than Rin.

Stronger than his brother.

And Kakashi suspected that the young boy was stronger than him.

Kenji remained all by himself, staring at the ground with a hardened intensity, as if he was trying to see something than nobody else could.

"Sakura…" Kakashi whispered softly, feeling a pang in his heart. His stomach revolved uncomfortably as he wondered what was it that Sarutobi knew about the pink-haired girl that he did not.

* * *

White clouds soared above like outstretched blankets billowing in the wind. Sasuke stared at the tired pink-haired girl by his side. They had stopped at a small inn and he managed to get her wounds bandaged and treated. He paid for two rooms and made sure that Sakura would receive a hot bath. His concern about her condition dwindled as he noticed that her chakra was returning and that she was able to move without any efforts.

They left early in the morning and headed north towards their destiny. They had not changed a word since that night. Sakura usual bright green eyes had lost their sparkle; she had not eaten much, only an apple or two. The sight of food made her sick.

Sasuke knew she was still mourning and he knew that she was going to grieve until everything was over.

Sakura stopped and opened the brown bag that Sarutobi had provided her. She pulled the map out and stared at it.

"We're not far," she said taking her eyes away from the map, she looked towards north and spotted the small cozy house that stood on the top of the hill.

"Hn," Sasuke replied as he followed her gaze, "half a day if we walk,"

"Less if we speed up," said Sakura, looking at him, a strange and unfamiliar smile adorned her tired features.

Sasuke raised an elegant eyebrow, "I don't know… you're still recovering,"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "The last one reaching the top is a rotten egg!"

Sasuke eyes widened slightly as she dashed away, towards the top of the hill. He remained behind watching as she ran upwards with her eyes closed. He mused over her sudden change of mood. He sighed softly at her miserable effort to pretend that nothing was wrong.

Sakura could feel the gentle breeze caressing her face. She took a deep breathe as she increased her speed. She could see them as she ran. She could see his spiky silver hair, his hands stuck inside his pockets as he looked lazily back at her. She could see Rin at the kitchen table holding a mug of hot chocolate while she laughed along with her young brothers. She could see Minato-sensei goofy smile as Kushina passed by. She could see his whiskered face smile at her, the same boy who gave her the thumbs up and promised that he would definitely bring Sasuke back.

The pink-haired girl stopped and looked behind. Sasuke was still at the same spot she had left him staring back at her. Sakura gave him an impatient look and cocked her head to one side, waiting.

She smiled softly as she watched him hesitantly walk forward.

"Kakashi… I'm sorry…" she whispered and turned around to look at the small house, "For Naruto," she nodded slowly and her eyes flashed determinately as Sasuke placed himself by her side.

* * *

"I thought you said it was only one girl," the old man said as he stood at the door entrance. Hitori crossed his arms around his chest and glared at the two curious Sannin.

"Jiraiya…"

"Ahh, an Uchiha. How interesting," Jiraiya said as he stared at the dark-haired boy that walked close to Sakura.

Tsunade sighed in frustration as she saw the pink-haired girl wave at her, "I specifically ordered her to come alone,"

Jiraiya chuckled as he watched the blonde-haired woman walk towards the newcomers.

"Oi Sakura! Which part of coming alone you didn't understand!?"

* * *

A/N: YAY another chappie! I hope you enjoyed reading it!


	20. Vinte

_Flaming Heart_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

**Author's Note**:

Yatta! Another chapter!

**First**, I bow to JiraiyaGirl for her wonderful job and her kindness and for the time she put up "betaing" this chapter.

**Secondly**, I bow to all of my wonderful readers, those who have added this story to their communities thingies and their favourites and of course those who have reviewed so far! You people bring a smile to my face! (Yay go go me, vote Creidhe for president lol)

All that said, here it is, the newest chapter.

I hope you like it!

* * *

Sakura could not hide the soft smile that claimed her pale, exhausted features. Her emerald eyes almost brightened up at the sight of the huffing blonde-haired medic-nin. She felt the Uchiha become stiff by her side as Tsunade's scrutinizing look landed on him.

"Tsunade-Sama," Sakura started, one of her hands held onto Sasuke's sleeve, "We need to talk," she added after receiving an icy glare.

Sasuke ignored the weight on his sleeve. His murky eyes gazed at Tsunade's for a brief moment before he directed his gaze towards the others that quietly stood behind the blonde medic-nin. He recognized the white-haired man, Jiraiya. Tsunade raised an impetuous eyebrow at the Uchiha, who seemed to be immune to her fierce glare, and then with a heavy loud sigh she jerked her head towards the pink-haired girl, "Heh, of all the people to bring with, why did you have to drag along an Uchiha?"

Sakura offered her a tired smile, "Please Tsunade-Sama…" she whispered quietly.

Sasuke, willed himself to look at the older woman's eyes, "We travelled a long way, Sakura is tired," his tone of voice clearly indicated that he had no intentions to leave.

Tsunade snorted, "I believe she can speak for herself, Uchiha," she said, looking straight into his crimson eyes, letting him know that she was not intimidated one bit by them.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya exclaimed cheerfully as he approached her. He smiled widely, "You must be tired, ne? Come inside, we'll have tea!" Tsunade shot him a wondering look.

Sakura nodded, "Hai," she stared at Sasuke and smiled weakly. He merely stared back at her with his big, crimson eyes; he could see how different the pink-haired girl was. Sakura was no longer the silly, weak kunoichi he once knew. Sasuke's eyes darted away from Sakura and stopped on the two strangers that were standing at the door to the house. He was not the only one.

The pink-haired kunoichi bowed slightly in respect, "You must be Hanabusa-Sama," she said with a reserved smile, a grim shadow crossed her features for a mere second, replaced then with a serene expression.

Hanabusa's wrinkled features softened at the sight of the girl in front of him, "Welcome to my humble home, Sakura," he said nodding his head, "You are a very brave kunoichi,"

Sakura ignored the knot in her stomach; she did not know how to answer.

"Please, come in," the tall man next to Hanabusa said. His voice was deep and everyone could feel the bitterness in his voice. Sakura stared at him for the first time.

"We have tea!" said Jiraiya as he passed through them; "This way!" he added walking down the hallway as if he owned the place.

Sasuke allowed Sakura to step inside right after the cheerful white-haired man. He could feel Tsunade's eyes burn holes on his back. Tsunade stared at the Uchiha, her blonde brows furrowed like two ominous storms. She didn't know what, but something about him was ticking her off. His mighty attitude and his activated Sharingan only drove her madness further. Who does that little cockroach think he is?

Behind her, a quiet and musing Hanabusa walked with the help of Hitori. The pink-haired girl was nothing as he imagined her to be. She was still a child, albeit one with a heavy burden on her shoulders. He noticed the acceptance in her green orbs, but he had also seen the tinge of hope that she tried to bury inside her, but that faint sparkle was still there in the depths of her soul.

He sighed, but at the same time, his dried lips formed a smile as he stared at the other guest she had brought with her. An Uchiha… he sure was going to make things a lot more interesting.

The kitchen was so small that Sakura wondered how on earth everyone managed to fit in. Six mugs of tea sat on the round table; none of them had drunk anything yet. Sakura could feel their eyes on her, the only ones who were not staring at her, were having a staring contest. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, crimson bloody eyes disappeared, and dark ones took their place. Tsunade snorted and finally darted her eyes away from the Uchiha. She stared at Sakura who was quietly looking at her lap.

"First of all, I…" Sakura paused to stare at the old man. She smiled tenderly as a wave of a welcoming peace invaded her spirit, "I want to thank you Hanabusa-Sama for agreeing to help us,"

Hanabusa said nothing, his lips pressed together, hiding his amused smile. Hitori, who was sitting next to the old man, scowled.

Jiraiya glanced sideways and gazed at the old man. There was something about the old man that didn't quite make sense. The fact that he knew about the Kyuubi was one thing, the fact that he possessed an ancient book that belongs to the Uchiha clan was somewhat beyond suspicious. Just who was this old man?

Sakura sighed softly at the lump on her throat. Her emerald eyes stopped on the two Sannin, "I have bad news,"

Tsunade shot a quick glance at the Uchiha before she stared at the pink-haired kunoichi. Jiraiya simply nodded, telling Sakura that he was ready for the bad news.

Sasuke straightened himself on the chair, adapting a more comfortable position. His hand reached for the tea mug.

"R-Rin… she…" Sakura stopped, her both hands covered her face as tears prickled her eyes. Sasuke took a sip of his tea and placed it down, completely unperturbed. Tsunade's lips parted, her honey eyes softened. Somehow she knew what Sakura wanted to say and shot a nervous glance at Jiraiya. The white-haired man looked straight back at the pink-haired girl, "What happened?"

Sakura, suppressed a sob, her trembling hands refused to reveal her face. She didn't want anyone to see her tears.

Hanabusa stared at the pink-haired girl; something unreadable crossed his wrinkled features. Tsunade sighed softly and Jiraiya remained quietly in his seat, waiting for the medic-nin to calm down. Hitori simply rolled his eyes at the sight of the sobbing girl.

It was Sasuke who broke the silence. He placed his mug down and cleared his throat, "Sakura was ambushed by a group of ANBU," Sasuke ignored Tsunade's shocked features, "They were acting upon Danzou's orders,"

Sakura's sobs ceased at once, her hands dropped to her lap and she stared at Sasuke in surprise. How did he know who the ANBU were working for?

"While Sakura was facing the ANBU… this other girl came to assist her," Sasuke's voice had no hint of emotion present in it, "She died while trying to protect Sakura," Sasuke stared at the distraught medic, "I was delayed and didn't arrive in time. Rin's death is not your fault despite what Kakashi said,"

"Of course it was not your fault!" Tsunade interceded quickly, "Kakashi didn't mean it. He was just as shocked as you were,"

Sakura nodded quietly, her emerald eyes found her mug of tea. She decided to fix her gaze on it.

Jiraiya's clenched jaw relaxed as he directed his gaze at the Uchiha, "You say you didn't arrive in time. How did you know he was going to attack her?"

Sasuke blinked as if Jiraiya was stupid, "I have been targeting Danzou for a while. I knew his every move. He was after Sakura after his minions overheard an interesting conversation between you three,"

Jiraiya abruptly stood up. He looked down at the blonde-haired woman who stared at him with soft, sad eyes, "Go," she whispered softly. Jiraiya nodded quietly.

Hitori's eyes followed everyone's expressions. He narrowed his eyes at the information that the Uchiha had provided them with.

Sakura stared at the toad Sannin in surprise, "Y-you're leaving?" she asked softly.

"Minato is going to need me," Jiraiya replied not taking his eyes away from Tsunade.

"Then… then you could…" Sakura paused; a sick feeling took over her stomach. She wanted him to give Kakashi a message, "could you tell him… that...?" Sakura could not find the courage to say it aloud.

Sasuke arched a curious and yet amused eyebrow.

Jiraiya sighed; he knew what Sakura wanted him to tell Kakashi. Slowly he nodded grimly. He hated that he had to leave, especially leaving Tsunade and Sakura with the old man. Leaning forward Tsunade stiffened at how close he was. His lips touched her hair and almost reached her ear, "Don't trust in the old man, something's not right,"

Tsunade nodded softly, fighting the urge to push him away from her. Jiraiya straightened up, stared at Sakura and then at the Uchiha, "You both be careful," he then stared at the old man, "Make sure to send news,"

Hanabusa smiled widely as Jiraiya turned his back on them.

"Now, now," Hanabusa started, "Can tell us why you have brought the Uchiha with you?"

Sakura nodded quietly, her emerald eyes stared at Tsunade's worried ones.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the old man while Sakura proceeded to tell him what really happened. Sakura began to tell him Sasuke's plan to return back in time, that's when Sasuke noticed the shocked look on the old man's face right after Sakura mentioned Madara's name. He had also seen the nervous look on the other man's expression. Pressing his lips tightly; the onyx eyed man realized that there was something that the old man was hiding.

Tsunade stared at both of them, Sakura and Sasuke, an incredulous look stamped on her face. To… to even think that such a powerful Uchiha was still alive… it was ridiculous. But then again, travelling in time was just as ridiculous.

After Sakura was done, Hanabusa nodded taking in everything that the pink-haired girl had told them.

"What you did," Hanabusa turned towards Sasuke, "was reckless," if he expected Sasuke to agree or apologize, he was wrong. Sasuke merely stared at the old man with a bored look gracing his pale features, "changing history… it has already started… changing history is like gathering pieces of a broken puzzle, no matter how hard you try to complete the broken puzzle, the puzzle will never be completed the way you want it to be,"

Sakura lowered her head; guilt consumed every part of her. Sasuke arched an eyebrow, "A broken puzzle is better than a burned one. I made a promise… I am going to keep it,"

Sakura eyes widened, she looked up at Sasuke, her emerald eyes brightened up. She… she was proud of him.

Hanabusa took a deep breathe through his nose, "I see… even if it means that the future that awaits you is like a blank map," Sasuke did not answer, "Remember that everything has a price… the price of playing with the hands of time is cruel,"

"Hn,"

Tsunade coughed lightly. She didn't like to think about it. She stared at the young nins in front of her. She admired them, even though what the Uchiha did was wrong and selfish, she admired them. She asked herself if she would have the courage to do the same. She wondered if she had the courage to change the future, for the sake of her team; for Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's sake.

* * *

The air inside the Hokage's office was strangling him; painfully and slowly. He wasn't still over the fact that she was gone. They were both gone, even if under different circumstances, they were gone and nothing could refill the void inside his heart. The world around him seemed to go on without him. He felt motionless, his feet glued to the floor as if he was doomed to live with the excruciating pain of feeling so… lost and alone.

There was a soft knock on the door and he almost jumped off his seat, excitement and at the same time an implacable fear rushed through his entire body.

He heard Minato's chair move backwards and his footsteps towards the door, but he couldn't see him. Kakashi felt as if he was under powerful drugs, allhe could see was the door, he waited impatiently for the old man to step inside and spill out everything that he knew.

"Sarutobi," greeted Minato solemnly, "Please come in,"

The third offered Kakashi a short nod as he stepped inside the office. Sarutobi stared at the enormous amount of paperwork on Minato's usually empty desk.

"Take a seat," Minato offered as he sat back on his seat, his deep curious blue eyes stared at the old man.

"Thank you," Sarutobi took the chair next to Kakashi. He arched his bushy eyebrow as he felt the intent look that the copy-nin was giving him, "I suppose I have an idea of what you require of me," the third said, a soft and knowing smile decorated his sober expression.

Minato merely nodded, too tired to say anything at all.

"Hmm," Sarutobi mused, wondering how much did they really know, "Where do I start?" the man asked, ignoring Kakashi's intent gaze. It was somehow distressing and he never used to feel disconcerted.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Kakashi said gritting his teeth. He realized how rude he had sounded; he simply did not care at the moment.

Minato shot him a warning look but he completely ignored or simply missed it. He was too focused on the old man, who had all the answers.

"Very well," Sarutobi nodded shortly, "right from the beginning. It started with the arrival of a strange kunoichi who quickly gained everyone's trust," he noticed the piercing look Kakashi gave him, Sarutobi felt faintly amused.

"Sarutobi… just go straight to the point," said Minato, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

Sarutobi stared at the Hokage, his successor and nodded, "Alright. Now tell me Minato, you really did not notice anything strange about Sakura?"

Minato arched his eyebrows, "Of course I have, the fact that she lied about her past, where she came from while in fact she possessed the leaf headband-"

"Yes," Sarutobi said interrupting the blonde-haired man, "That is not the point," Sarutobi said waving a hand, "Who else on the village possesses that same bright pink-hair and those big emerald eyes of hers?" the third smiled expectantly.

Minato lips parted softly, he stared at the old man in front of him as if he was looking at him for the very first time, "Are you… are you saying that-"Minato's eyes widened, he leaned forward, one of his hands slapped his forehead, "Sayuri…"

"Indeed," Sarutobi nodded, glad that Minato got there, "Amazing isn't it?"

"It's amazing how I… I never even…-" Minato stuttered, feeling completely dumbfounded.

Not as flabbergasted as Kakashi. He had no idea who was this Sayuri they were speaking of.

"Sakura is Sayuri's granddaughter," said Sarutobi watching Kakashi shift uncomfortably in his seat.

The Hokage blinked, "That is impossible," he whispered after a while, "her daughter only got married last year,"

"Impossible," Sarutobi repeated with his dark eyes sparkling.

"Then what are you trying to say?" Kakashi asked at last, his voice was low and dark, "You are not making any sense," he pointed out, his hands curved into fists.

"Kakashi," said Minato sparing him a warning look.

"Tell me Kakashi," Sarutobi started, turning his head to stare at the young jounin, "Was there anything that Sakura told you that made you feel confused? Suspicious even?" the old man asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly, "Anything… even if it might seem meaningless to you… it might be a clue,"

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought.

Now that he thought about her, everything about Sakura had seemed weird at the beginning. Now that he inspected it closer, the first moment he looked at her… that day at the hospital, he had seen it, the look in her green eyes; it was as if she wasn't there, but thousands of miles away. It was as if she was staring at a ghost.

There was that time… Kakashi face twisted in absolute confusion as the images played in his mind. He could see a crying Rin and Sakura. That day in the forest, their first mission as a team, he could have sworn that Sakura had called him…

_"When he died that day… he didn't want to be forgotten Rin. He wished for you to smile whenever you thought of him, he wanted you to always remember as the boy who always got late and infuriated __Kakashi-sensei__-"_

"Kakashi-sensei," he said it out-loud as he heard her sweet musical voice say it in his head.

Sarutobi let out a soft chuckle surprising Minato and Kakashi.

"What's so funny?" asked Kakashi, he didn't know why but he could feel his cheeks burn.

"Sensei," Sarutobi answered as he stared at the silver-haired jounin, "Sakura is from the future,"

Minato deep blue eyes widened, "Sarutobi," his voice was raspy, "You're not the-"

"What?!" Kakashi interrupted Minato, his uncovered eye widened in astonishment, "Don't be ridiculous,"

"Sarutobi, you are not the fir-"

"How can it be?" Kakashi interrupted him again, now standing up, "Is this is a joke?" He sure as hell hoped so.

Sarutobi amusing face vanished and a serious one replaced it instantaneously, "I would not joke about something this serious, Hatake,"

The third's firm voice seemed to have brought Kakashi back to reality. Kakashi nodded shortly, feeling rather dizzy as he sat back down.

Minato glared at his student one last time before he opened his mouth to speak; "As I was saying…" he said quietly, "You are not the first one to claim it,"

Sarutobi eyed the blonde-haired man with interest, "Oh?"

Minato nodded, "Two days ago when we found Danzou," Sarutobi's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Danzou's name, "he said… pink-haired girl… future,"

Kakashi jaw clenched as he stared at the other men. How could they actually believe that something so absurd like this was actually true? Sakura… is from the future? Kakashi repeated the question in his head and shook it away.

"It can't be!" said Kakashi, "She can't be from the future… unless her team mate is also from the future," Kakashi said feeling the most idiotic person on the whole word for even saying Sakura and future in the same sentence.

Sarutobi jerked his head towards the jounin, "What team mate?" he quickly asked.

"Sasuke… or whatever his name is," Kakashi answered sulkily. He knew her teammate name.

"I see," Sarutobi answered, "The chief of Konoha's police," Kakashi blinked not sure why would the third mention the Uchihas, "I heard that's what he's going to name his son,"

Kakashi stood up, he could even cry of how angry, confused and broken he felt.

"Kakashi…" Minato started, feeling as much confused as his student, "sit down,"

"I'm not staying here and listen to a bunch of nonsense," Kakashi snapped walking towards the door, not noticing the taller form in front of him.

"I think you should, kid," Kakashi swallowed dry as he looked up at the white-haired man, "I have a message from Sakura," Jiraiya finished as he placed a comforting hand on the silver-haired jounin shoulder.

* * *

He walked graciously, accepting with no fear the light of the perfect spherical moon. The wind seemed to whisper to the trees, the trees leaves seemed to whisper back as they elegantly danced along. The man's feet were surrounded with blue chakra as he walked through the muddy path; he smiled in satisfaction as he concluded that no footprint was being left behind. His heartbeat was racing with the expectation that flooded through his veins.

A few moments later he stopped walking. His eyes widened and his lips curved in to a malicious smile as he stared at the two great statues.

He spotted him; a tall figure standing at the top, staring at the full moon.

"Hitori," the figure spoke, his voice was silky, soft and god-like.

Hitori shivered as the man's voice reached his ears. He gulped and walked forward, his knees almost gave in as he stopped a few feet away from the tall man.

"It's not the first day of the new moon," the tall man said not turning around.

"I know my lord," Hitori answered, his voice above a whisper. He bowed his head and kneeled down, "I have… some interesting news, my Lord,"

The man chuckled, "It better be good news," there was no threat or warning in his voice but that didn't stop Hitori to coil.

"Y-yes, the b-best news," Hitori said, gasping slightly as the man in front of him turned around. Hitori quickly glanced to the floor.

"Well? What is it?"

"A group of leaf arrived to Hanabusa's place, my Lord," Hitori paused, after receiving no answer, he carried on, "They know… they know of the Kyuubi," Hitori paused once more, he closed his eyes tightly expecting something bad, but nothing happened, "There is… this girl and a boy, they claim to be from the f-future,"

"Future?" the man asked. His question sounded as if he was asking for directions or something of the sorts. There was no surprise or intrigue present in it.


	21. Vinte e Um

Flaming Heart

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Naruto.

Author Note**:**

**I am so but so mad at myself! I had the next chapter all typed on Microsoft word but somehow I deleted it from my computer! –bangs head on the wall- I tried almost everything to retrieve it but without success! I even downloaded some useless programs that are supposed to bring back deleted files. Urgh… just my luck!**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter! I sent this chappie to my dear beta but I take it she's pretty busy, coz I haven't heard from her for ages (A big big bear hug for her!) So I apologize for all the errors you might encounter! **

**Wowah what a big author note… OH yeah, I've been thinking and I realized that this story is coming to an end soon, 4 or more 5 chapters to go! Yay! **

* * *

It was dark.

Not that he cared anyway because he preferred the dark nowadays. Kakashi crimson eye was the only light that the darkness of the room had not yet claimed. He was sitting on a green cushioned chair staring ahead with a codified expression stamped on his exhausted features.

There were so many foreboding feeling, emotions, and thoughts bombarding the poor young man's head from all directions. His eyes constantly shot from one end of the room to the other, expecting to find both, a brown-haired and a pink-haired girl hiding in some obscure corner. The deathly stillness of his surroundings only annoyed him further.

A faint silhouette moved in the thick darkness and Kakashi crimson eye caught its movement instantly. He looked significantly at the troubled shadow that slowly made its way towards him. In the darkness, Kakashi could distinguish the hardened features of a young boy. He slowly drew his arms apart and allowed the boy in front of him to embrace him.

"Kenji…" Kakashi whispered as the young boy held closer, nestling his head against his shoulder. The boy trembled frenziedly.

Kakashi arms enveloped the twin securely, as though it would protect him from his painful memories, his broken heart. However, even Kakashi knew that he could not shield the boy from that invisible pain. Not when, he too was suffering his own share.

It felt like an invisible creature was lurking in every shadow, ready to jump on him whenever he closed his eyes and saw their faces. The creature would laugh silently at his pathetic helplessness, revealing his misery.

"Shhh, everything will be all right," Kakashi whispered, feeling hot tears wet his vestments.

Another sick feeling took over his already sickened body. Would everything really be all right? Was not everything around him falling apart? Was not everyone around him gone? Could it be that he was cursed? Did the Gods hate him that much? How could it be? How could _she_ be from the future? Was everyone around him completely mad?

There were so many questions… to so many empty answers. It was as if he was standing on the top of a mountain, screaming at the top of his lungs and only his echoes replied.

"I b-believe," Kenji words made Kakashi blood freeze, "I believe Sakura-chan now… it makes sense now…" Kenji voice was still frail but it came out strong enough for the copy-nin ears.

"Kenji," Kakashi tone had a hint of warning in it. He really did not feel like talking about it.

"The stories never made so much s-s-sense now," the young boy carried on as if Kakashi had not spoke, "because they are true s-stories,"

The silver-haired jounin tightened the embrace around Kenji's thin waist. He closed his eyes tightly; the darkness finally consumed the entire room, "W-what stories?" he finally asked, ignoring the lump on his throat.

"A story of Sakura and her friends," another voice answered, surprising both Kakashi and Kenji.

"H-hai," Kenji said, sniffing slightly on Kakashi's shirt.

"This story h-happened in t-the future," Kenjiro's voice reached their ears more clearly now. Kakashi opened his eyes and noticed that the other twin was still lying on the bed, "It was a story of team seven, a s-s-story about-" Kenji and Kakashi waited, calmly as Kenjiro cleaned his tears away, "about three genins... there was Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan,"

"N-Naruto was an orphan and the whole village despised him… Sasuke the last remaining U-uchiha and t-there was S-Sakura-chan…" Kenji paused; he could feel Kakashi racing heartbeat, "the p-p-prettiest girl of Konoha,"

Kenjiro chuckled lightly at the last part. Kakashi shivered at the young boy's chuckle, which was full of tremendous sadness.

"_You can't do that!" _

"_What?" _

"_You can't choose you as one of the main characters!" _

"_Hehehe! Well I'm the story teller so tough luck, kiddo,"_

"_Coooome on! Carry on!" _

"Team seven had the m-most lazy sensei in the whole world," Kenji added, his voice clearer than before, "he never got in time for the trainings sessions and he always carried a book with him,"

"_What's so funny?" _

"_His name was…his name was Kakashi," _

Kakashi abruptly stood up and gently placed Kenji down, "I don't want to listen anymore," he hissed as he firmly pushed the twin towards his bed, "go to sleep,"

Kenji climbed to his bed without protesting. He quickly got under the blankets and turned his back on the silver-haired boy.

Kakashi took a deep breathe and he too turned his back on the twins as he walked towards the door.

"And that is how she decided to change the future," Kenjiro's voice rose above Kenji's suppressed sobs and Kakashi's footsteps, "at last, she could be of use. At last, she felt needed. At last, she could repay him back. She could make Kakashi-sensei feel proud of her. That's the end of the story,"

His world suddenly moved too fast for him. A wave of dizziness took over his mind, making him feel lighter than a feather. He pressed his arm on the corridor wall to support himself.

"Sakura…" he whispered throatily as his knees gave away.

* * *

_**Six Months Later**_

* * *

"Dammit Sakura!" a loud voice echoed through the green fields, "What is the matter with you today?"

Sakura took in a deep breathe as she pushed herself upwards, ignoring Sasuke's helping hand. She darted her bright emerald eyes towards the opposite direction where a blonde-haired woman was standing with a concerned look on her pale features. Behind Tsunade, was Hanabusa, a walking stick supported his weight.

"Gomen," Sakura drawled angrily.

Sasuke moved quickly after the pink-haired kunoichi who had turned her back on the elders. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the young medic-nin attitude and stepped forward, balling her left hand into a fist. She stopped hastily when an unexpected hand clutched her shoulder.

"She needs time," Hanabusa spoke softly as he turned around, hiding a small smile.

Tsunade blinked softly as she watched the dark-haired boy follow Sakura into the forest. She huffed and finally shrugged. She knew it was probably too much for Sakura right now. All the training required to be able to perform such technique could drain anyone's strength. But, that was not what was worrying Tsunade. So far, Sakura's chakra was what was worrying everyone, even the Uchiha. Sakura's amount of chakra was still weak and not enough to perform the final seal.

Sasuke sighed as he silently followed the pink-haired girl. He watched as she punched a tree, breaking it to tiny pieces of wood. He tilted his head to the right, avoiding a sharp piece to connect with his skin. Several green leaves fell down, slowly. Sakura shifted and kicked the fallen leaves as if kicking and punching could make things better. She had never felt as childish as she did at that moment, with Sasuke prying eyes watching her every move.

Her pressed lips parted and an agonizing sound escaped. Sasuke remained quiet behind her as if any other sound could make things worse. His dark-eyes watched her indifferently as she kneeled down with her back turned on him. Her shoulders shook and he finally looked away, the usual blank expression vanished and a troubled one replaced it.

The Uchiha stepped towards the sobbing girl, "Are you okay?" despite the pain, Sakura was very aware of his touch, of the way, his arm was secure around her, the way he controlled her body easily. She had the altogether foreign thought that she was safe. He repeated the question, his hands clasped around her arms to keep her steady.

Sakura sighed, "Fine, fine," she stated bleakly as she fought back more tears.

She felt Sasuke become rigid, felt the heat of him in the simple touch of his hand. "You aren't so fine," he stated with calm insistence.

"What?" Sakura asked suddenly feeling tired.

"Never mind," he said as he jerked his eyes away from her green ones.

"How…" Sakura voice almost failed her. Sasuke did not stare at her but waited for her to carry on, "How can you be so calm?"

"Hn," Sasuke replied shrugging his shoulders, "I'm as nervous as you are,"

Sakura snorted as she gently pulled away from his embrace, "Doesn't seem like it,"

Sasuke smirked as he stretched his arms, his mouth opened and he yawned. Sakura eyes widened at the simple scene in front of her. She had never seen the dark-haired boy do such mundane act. She even had started to ask herself if Sasuke was even human.

"I'm not like you," he simply answered, the remains of a smirk still decorated his handsome pale features.

Sakura raised an interested pink-eyebrow at his answer, "How so?" she asked feeling the unexpected breeze caress her wet face.

"I don't display my emotions as you do. I control my emotions like a true shinobi must do," Sasuke replied as if his answer was too obvious and that she should have seen it coming.

Sakura offered him a small smile, "Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"What if… what if we fail…?"

Sasuke gazed at girl in front of him for a full minute with a most thoughtful, serious expression on his face. Sakura bit her lip as she grew increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutinizing dark eyes.

"Then we can only hope we have changed the past as much as we could," he replied, a strange feeling took over him. He preferred to think that they were going to succeed, even though their chances pointed to the opposite direction. Failure.

Sakura sighed softly and stepped forward, closing the space between them. She glanced quickly all around her, and then suddenly reached for Sasuke's hand, which froze solid at her warm touch.

"Thank you," she whispered softly catching the Uchiha by surprise. A flicker of unknown emotions crossed his pale features as he lost himself in her big jaded-green orbs, "at least we tried," she forced a smile, flashing her perfect white teeth.

"We have to leave," Sasuke replied ignoring what she had said earlier. The flicker of emotion was long gone from his blank expression.

Sakura stared uncomprehendingly at his face for a long time, trying to grasp his strange meaning.

"W-what?!" she wondered at last, fixing her green eyes on his face to make sure she didn't miss a single syllable.

Sasuke's whole face darkened mournfully as she pressed his hand for a reply. After a brief silence, he reluctantly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak.

"You really did not notice?" he asked, pulling away his hand from her warm touch. Sakura blinked, and the Uchiha took that as a no. He sighed and his brows knitted together.

"That old man… and his apprentice," Sasuke started noticing her confused features, "that man apprentice-"

"Hitori?" asked Sakura, staring anxiously into his face.

Sasuke nodded, "He mysteriously disappeared right after we arrived. The old man claimed that Hitori had chosen to follow his own path. But, if it is as he said so, why is Hitori coming to visit him every first night of the full moon?"

Sakura shook her head, "I'm not sure if I understand…"

"Tsunade has noticed it too," his voice clearly told her that she should have paid more attention to what was happening around her. Sakura nodded slowly and waited for the dark-haired boy to carry on, "They have met each other every first night of the full moon, perhaps they meet more frequently,"

Sakura brows furrowed, "So? He visits his mentor, what is wrong with that?"

Sasuke glared at the pink-haired girl who pressed her lips tightly, "There is nothing wrong with that, but the fact that they do it behind our backs. They are obviously hiding something,"

"Leave?" Sakura whispered, looking down at her feet. Her heart started to race, "where to?"

Sasuke arched a musing eyebrow, "There is only one place we have to go, Sakura,"

Her throat became dry as she stared at Sasuke's emotionless features, "Konoha," her lips moved but no sound ever reached the Uchiha's ears.

"We have to stay close to the area that the Kyuubi will strike," said Sasuke as he turned his back on her, "We'll leave tonight,"

"T-tonight?" Sakura stuttered as she stared at his retreating back.

"Tonight," he repeated as he walked away.

"Demo…" Sakura ran to catch up with Sasuke. Her green eyes widened and she jerked her head towards him.

"Hn, tonight's a full moon,"

She could have sworn that she saw his lips curve into a smirk.

* * *

The darkness suffocated Kakashi's entire sweaty body. He had been running, walking, dragging himself through the thick darkness only to find that there was not a way to escape.

Escape the voices.

"Strange, isn't it?" chirped a soft voice near him.

"What is?" the silver-haired young man wondered.

"How you could go on living even though you should have died that day,"

"Yes, I should have," he agreed.

An unnatural silence seemed to stretch on forever.

"But still more strange," commented another voice suddenly, "that you actually thought that you could be happy with _her_."

"I never thought that."

"Why not?" the first voice asked, truly interested.

He scoffed at the stupid question, turning around, his mismatched eyes tried to see what was hiding in the darkness.

"Because I'm cursed. I will never be happy." he answered simply.

"He's that man son… Konoha's White-fang, pathetic!"

"Trash… that's what he is,"

So many cruel voices burst into disarray: they cackled, wailed, taunted, and screamed into ears all at once. His head throbbed painfully as the disturbed voices squeezed into his mind, each demanding his full awareness.

"Kakashi-sensei" another voice, so different from all the others came to the surface, making all the others disappear at once.

Kakashi suddenly woke up from his nightmare.

Much to his amazement, he found himself sleeping in a comfortable and unfamiliar sofa. He stared blankly all around himself, scrutinizing every detail his eyes stumbled across. He noticed a small wooden table next to the sofa, where an empty cup and several sheets of paper seemed to be part of the messy decoration of the living room.

"Are you alright?" asked a kind voice.

Kakashi blinked at first and only then, he noticed the red-haired woman comfortably seated in front of him. She had soft smile decorated her swollen features.

"You look very tired," smiled the red-haired woman, "and you probably have the hugest headache, ne?"

Kakashi's memory slowly floated back to him: he remembered last night. Gemna, despite his protests, had somehow dragged him to the new bar.

Kakashi nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Ah! Well ," chuckled Kushina, waving a hand in the air, "The twins found you unconscious at the doorsteps,"

The silver-haired jounin nodded again, his unmasked eye slowly travelled down to the red-haired woman's belly. It seemed to get bigger at the minute.

"Wait here," she instructed as she slowly stood up, a hand supporting her back. She made a face and stuck her tongue at the stiff and still sleepy Kakashi as she turned around and disappeared from his sight.

Kakashi sighed deeply and massaged his temples as he fell back down on the sofa.

"Kakashi-sensei…" he whispered, feeling the hair of the back of his neck stand up.

It was her voice. It amazed him how dreams could be so real, capturing the right scents, noises, feelings.

"_I have a message from Sakura,"_

"_I don't want to hear it,"_

"_Fine...Minato… I heard everything from Sakura--"_

"_Wh-what did she say?"_

"_I thought you didn't want to hear..."_

"_Hmph, I… I've changed my mind,"_

"_Right… here,"_

"_Thanks,"_

"_Just read it already,"_

Kakashi hand reached his green vest pocket. He took a small piece of a torn and old parchment. He quickly unfolded it and inspected her perfect handwriting.

_Dear Kakashi,_

_I wanted to tell you.  
_

_I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but I never found the courage to do so. I never felt so alone… carrying this burden on my shoulders for so long… but I held on. _

_I held on you. _

_I held on Rin._

_I held on you for the sake of carrying on. Because I have to carry on… _

_Every time I looked at you, I could see you clearly. I could see your other you, nodding, pushing, incentivizing me further. I could not let you down. I could not let them down._

_Naruto and Sasuke._

_Moreover, Kakashi-sensei too._

_I write this to you because I want you to understand. Everything I did was with good intentions… no… the best intentions._

_I believe, that once a certain silver-haired jounin, told me that teammates comes first. I think that his words were exactly something of the sorts, "Those who break the rules are trash, but, those who leave their teammates behind are even worse!" _

_I did it for Naruto, you know, for his future. Because… now he will have a chance to have a future, one filled with happiness. He will have his parents, Minato-sensei, Kushina Uzumaki, Jiraiya-sama… and… you… for him now. _

_Just do not spoil him too bad._

_More importantly, I write this to you, because my time is almost over and I need to let go. I need to let you know that…_

_I love you._

_I know that you probably hate me right now. It's okay… to do so._

_I hate me too._

Kakashi hands trembled and a deep frown decorated his features.

_P.S - I do hope that this letter reaches you. I am counting on Jiraiya-sama persuasion skills, he guaranteed that he was the best and so I deposit all my trust in him. _

Kakashi groaned softly and brought the piece of parchment to his face. His hand clutched to the parchment tightly, wrinkling it.

"T-tea?" Kushina's soft voice asked startling him.

Kakashi immediately sat, stared at the red-haired woman and nodded, "Kushina-san," he started as she poured down some hot tea on his cup.

"Yes?" she asked, her big eyes stared at the young boy in front of her in worry and sympathy.

"Have you thought of a name for the baby?" he asked, trying to sound indifferent.

Kushina flashed him a devious smile, "That… is a secret,"

* * *

Tsunade arched a blonde eyebrow in expectation, the dark-haired boy gave her a short discrete nod as he, and Sakura walked past her.

"Sakura!" the old man exclaimed, a glint on his large eyes as the pink-haired girl shot him a smile, "You are back! Right in time for dinner,"

Sasuke watched as the old man wrinkled hand held onto Sakura's arm, "I prepared us some fish," the man said as he turned around to stare at both, the blonde-haired woman and the Uchiha.

"Do you need any help, Hanabusa-sama?" asked Sakura in a polite tone. Her green eyes stared directly at the old man prying ones.

Hanabusa nodded, "But of course! I just need you to get the table ready,"

Tsunade fought back the urge to rip apart the old man every limb right there. According to the Uchiha, it would be better if they confronted both Hitori and Hanabusa at the same time. Despite her animosity feelings for the Uchiha, she knew he was right.

The dinner went by as any normal day. Hanabusa often questioned Sakura and the Uchiha about how were things in the future. Tsunade often interrupted Sakura since Sasuke never spoke a word towards the old man, and formulated her own questions, narrowing her eyes at Hanabusa who offered her a wide smile, where she had direct access to his toothless mouth.

It was as if he knew something that she did not. It irritated her beyond limits.

After dinner, Sasuke and Sakura pushed the living room table away, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Tsunade stepped inside, three sleeping bags in her arms. The air around them seemed to have increased; it was almost unbearable to breathe.

Sakura's heart started to race as if she ran for miles. Her whole body shook with anticipation to what was coming next. She stole a quick glance towards Sasuke who never bothered to put on something to sleep. His eyes gave her the impression that he was oddly calm considering what was going to happen. She heard Tsunade sigh and jerked her head towards the blonde-haired woman who was lying down, her honey eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Sakura slowly placed herself in her sleeping bag. Her emerald eyes too stared at the dirty white ceiling. She put a hand on her compressed chest, feeling the thump of her own heart. Somehow, being in the middle of Sasuke and Tsunade calmed her.

She had nothing to fear...they were after all in numeric advantage.

Hours passed and Sakura could feel the weight of sleep crush her. She struggled to keep her eyes open while she listened to the other two breathing.

That's when she suddenly felt it.

A different and unknown chakra.

Sasuke sat upright; crimson took over his usual dark orbs.

Tsunade too, sat up and stared in horror at the dark-haired boy.

"Uchiha, what is the meaning of this?"


	22. Vinte e Dois

Flaming Heart

Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! But due to latest events that occured in the last manga chapter I could only wish I did : **

Author Note: Yay, another chapter!! I can't believe I wrote it this fast. I could not recover the deleted one and it amazes me how different this turned from the previous one I had written. O.o

This chapter has not been edited yet, so you will for sure find a few mistakes. I hope is still readable xD!

I really should have been studying, but what the hell! LOL, here's my "study" result.

* * *

The air was so heavy, that it barely reached her lungs. Sakura opened her mouth, her dry lips parted and she sucked in a large amount of air, burning her throat as she did so. Her wide green eyes remained fixed on the dirty white ceiling while the unknown strength approached them by the minute. Her heart was speeding up at an abnormal velocity, a lately habit that she developed during the last months. Somehow, the frightening cold feeling that possessed every fiber of her being, told her that this was it.

There was no returning point now. She could not go back. All the thoughts, all the possibilities that she had until so far, were scattered without any ceremony.

Sakura tried to move as soon as she felt Sasuke and Tsunade's movements. However, her body remained glued to the sleeping bag, in a pool of her own sweat.

"Uchiha, what is the meaning of this?" Tsunade's voice was like a very far away echo that slowly rang in her mind.

Sakura swallowed dry as she sat. She turned her head toward the raven-haired boy, locking her eyes with an unfamiliar sharingan. The new shape of his bloodied eyes did not startle her, instead she reached a hand towards him, clenching to his arm.

Sasuke looked at the source of the cold touch; his red eyes stared at the frightening girl in front of him. Her long pink-hair was messy, some of her badly-cut fringe got in the way of her eyes, blocking half of her vision. Her lower lip shivered, whether with cold or fright, he could not tell. Still he suspected the latter. The Uchiha could read her so easily now. A flicker of emotion crossed his cold-hardened face as he finally comprehended what she really was scared of.

"It's him," Sakura whispered.

Tsunade slowly rose to her feet and looked down at the young pair. She pressed her blonde eyebrows together and opened her mouth but Sakura carried on.

"Madara…is here…"

A gasp escaped the older medic-nin lips. A deadly deep silence followed right after. Madara was coming.

"_Don't trust in the old man, something's not right," _Jiraiya's words came to her. His voice sounded so real, as if he was standing behind her whispering them.

Her shocked features faded away and a determinate look took over. Tsunade raised her chin and stared around the living room, spotting an old brown bag on top of the table. She reached it and opened it, not wanting to lose any time; she started to shove everything she could inside.

Sasuke took a deep breathe and looked away from the pink-haired girl. He slowly took her hand away from his arm and finally stood up. He ignored her gaze as he walked towards the hallway.

Tsunade turned around and hurried towards Sakura, lifting her up effortlessly, "You know what you have to do, Sakura,"

Sakura darted her emerald eyes from the Sasuke's back and stared directly at Tsunade's honey eyes. A glint of determination on Tsunade's eyes made Sakura gain instant life. She lowered her eyes to the small brown bag and nodded slowly.

"H-hai," Sakura spoke weakly as she accepted the brown bag.

Tsunade nodded and forced a weak smile, "We'll make it," she said nodding one more time, trying to convince herself this time.

"For everyone," Sakura added softly, her voice barely audible.

Tsunade eyes widened slightly at the pink-haired girls soft words. It still amazed her how great the girl in front of her was.

"For everyone," Tsunade repeated and walked towards the corridor, where Sasuke was waiting. She stared at his Sharingan and they both nodded at each other, as if they had just made a silent agreement.

Sakura walked closely behind her. Sasuke eyes went past Tsunade and stopped on the younger medic-nin. Sakura too nodded at him, surprising him as she stuck her tongue out in a childish manner.

"Let's kick some ass," Tsunade said as they headed towards the main door.

The unfamiliar chakra was closer than ever.

As soon as the door opened, the momentarily confidence dissipated away. Sakura found her legs hard to move. It was as if they had a life of their own and knew something that she did not. Yet, she walked forward.

A gust of gelid wind brushed through Sakura, whipping her long hair across her face. The moon shined down on the green field, looking down at the six shadows. Sakura found herself between Tsunade and Sasuke; she thought for a brief second that the fast rhythm of her heart had two other beatings racing, catching up to hers. She tried her best to look as calm as the other two did. Sasuke looked like a statue, illuminated by the moonlight, his bloodied eyes, a beautiful contrast.

Sakura directed her gaze at the three silhouettes that were standing in a perfect line, right in front of them. Her green orbs fell on the old man's figure, Hanabusa. There was no walking stick supporting his weight. A dark, wide smile decorated his wrinkled features, sending a cold shiver down Sakura's spine.

Her eyes continued towards left, stopping on the dark figure. He was wearing a long dark coat with a long hood covering half of his features. She carried on staring, mesmerized by his powerful aura. The stranger moved his head and the other half of his features were now uncovered. She found herself trapped in two bright red eyes.

Tsunade heart was pierced with a loud agonizing scream filling the dark night. The trees shook as several birds flapped their wings, flying away. Her eyes widened as the pink-haired girl fell to her knees, her both hands pressed on her own neck.

"Sakura!" A guttural scream came out from Tsunade while she turned towards the yelping girl.

"Don't touch her," Sasuke's grave voice spoke above Sakura's screams.

"What are you talking about?!" asked Tsunade; her eyes wide with incredulity.

"Do not touch her," Sasuke repeated, more darkly this time, "She's done for,"

Tsunade slowly shook her head as she stared at the Uchiha, "What do you mean!?"

However, just before Sasuke could answer, Tsunade felt the hair of the back of her neck stand up. She watched by the corner of her eyes as Hitori and Hanabusa made their way towards her, in full speed. She then sprinted backwards, narrowing her eyebrows as she stared at the pink-haired girl lying form. She could have sworn that she saw Sakura look back at her.

Tsunade did not have any time to ponder on that. She came to a sudden stop and crouched just in time, dodging a dozen of poisoned shuriken. Her nostrils flared up instantly as she recognized the scent of the poison. It was one, considered to be the most deadly poison in the market. She placed herself in a battle stance, skimmed one of her leg forward; chakra flowed through her nicely and strongly. Her eyes fell on the two figures in front of her. It seemed that she had to fight them both. The blonde Sannin lips curved into a smirk.

Sasuke fought the urge to stare at Sakura whose screams seemed to have died down. Instead he stared straight ahead at the shadowed figure. Sharingan met sharingan. The cloaked man opened its arms wide and smiled. It was not a deceiving smile filled with malice or like Sasuke had expected. Instead, Sasuke eyes met a warm happy smile. He narrowed his eyes in disdain and pure hatred.

"You must be Sasuke-san," the man voice flowed like a melody to Sasuke's ears. Sasuke said nothing; he had the foreign feeling that Madara was not finished, "there is no need for me to introduce myself, is there?" a short laugh followed his question, "It seems that we have already met."

There was a loud noise behind them; neither Sasuke nor Madara seemed interested in what was happening with the already occurring battle. Sasuke hand reached for his sword. Madara tilted his head in amusement while he dropped his arms down.

"You are lacking manners, Sasuke-san," said Madara. Nothing in his voice indicated mockery, "Well, matters not," Madara added waving a dismissing hand. "I did not come here to fight. At least I have no intentions to… it really depends on you Sasuke-san,"

Madara smile widened as his declaration seemed to have wakened some interested in the raged boy.

* * *

It felt so good.

The pain was finally gone, replaced by an odd warming and relaxing feeling. Everything felt a lot lighter too. The racing heartbeat was finally back to normal. Her hands were clutching to her chest and a soft smile decorated her features.

Why didn't she always feel like this? So peaceful... this is what she deserved. She had the right to close her eyes and think about herself too! Hadn't she always put others first so far? Now this was her moment.

Yes.

She could feel it. The air too, seemed brighter, cleaner, and lighter. This was heaven. She wanted to feel like this forever.

Yes.

She would stay like this forever. Her soft smile grew as her body became warmer. It felt wonderful; the empty feeling inside her seemed to vanish along with her.

Wait...

There was something else… something that still had her trapped. She couldn't flap her wings and fly away just yet. Why? She wanted to go now. The smile vanished and the warming feeling disappeared.

She opened her eyes, her lips and screamed. There was no sound. There was no one there to help her. She stared at her hands, covered in blood. Her green eyes widened as she stared at the limp body next to her.

A nasty cut across her throat.

Empty brown eyes stared back at her, accusingly.

She shook her head, tears fell and fell, she wanted to scream the pain away, but there was no sound. Why? Why couldn't she scream?

She closed her eyes as she tried to stand up.

She stumbled.

She forced herself up again.

Stumbled again… and again.

She slowly opened her eyes. The body was gone. She stared aimlessly around; trying to find an escape, there was none. She was surrounded by darkness.

Tears carried on falling.

Her heartbeat started to race again. Footsteps behind her. Her bloodstream froze at the sound of his voice.

"You killed Rin,"

She wanted to turn around, but found that she couldn't. She was too scared, too fragile, too weak, too coward to do it. So she opened her mouth, "I didn't… I didn't…" she whispered. There was still no voice.

"You killed Rin,"

His voice repeated.

She shook her head. Her back was hunched and trembled with each sob.

"I… didn't!" she insisted, still soundless.

"You killed Rin,"

"I didn't!" She turned around, stared at his figure. His strict look almost made her heart come to a stop, "I DIDN'T!"

Her voice broke out, strongly and loudly.

"I didn't," she repeated, a mad look on her weeping face, "I didn't..."

* * *

Tsunade cursed as she dodged the old man's attacks. Her eyes were wide with shock at the incredible speed of Hanabusa. He was a lot faster than his apprentice and had many more tricks up his sleeve. Tsunade smirked as she dodged his kick, pushing chakra towards her hands. She watched as Hitori disappeared and reappeared right next to her from the corner of her eyes.

She deflected the poisoned senbons and jumped in mid air, placing a palm of her hand on Hitori's head, supporting her jump and avoided this way, Hanabusa's retaliation. Hitori body went numb as he felt a horrible pressure inside his head. Tsunade, landed right behind Hitori, their backs facing each other. She heard a loud thump and sneered.

"One down, one to go,"

Sasuke heard the loud thump and watched as Madara wide smile began to fade away. Madara narrowed his eyes at the blonde-haired woman who seemed to remind him of someone.

"Anyway, Sasuke-san," said Madara, the annoying expression long gone of his face, "let's make it simple, shall we? You have something that I want,"

Sasuke red eyes widened and his lips parted as realization descended upon him, like a thunder on a storm night.

"That's right," Madara carried on, "Imagine, it's an everybody win situation. I get what I want, you get what you want," Madara stepped forward, Sasuke clenched tightly to his sword, "No Kyuubi," he raised his eyebrow in expectation, "No dangerous seal," he stepped forward again, "No one needs to die," then he stared at the pink-haired girl, "think about it,"

"Do not listen to him, Uchiha!" Tsunade said as she rolled on the floor, blocking the old man attacks. The small battle was becoming harder than she thought. The old man, not only was he faster than her, he also possessed some highly advanced taijutsu.

She quickly jumped to her feet, her eyes widened as she stared at the spot where Hanabusa was previously standing. He was gone.

A sharp pain took over her right side. She cursed out loud as she stared at the source of the attack. He was gone again.

It was impossible… to be this faster.

"Think about it carefully," Madara insisted, ignoring the woman cries of protest.

"I didn't"

A soaring voice surprised everyone.

"Well… that is… not… possible," the cloaked Uchiha said, slightly taken back as he watched the pink-haired girl budge.

Sasuke raised an unimpressed eyebrow and smirked. He felt somehow highly surprised at the bursting feeling inside him. He was proud. He was really proud of the pink-haired girl. All the training hours under his Sharingan had really paid of.

"I didn't!"

Madara's sharingan gleamed as he stared at the young girl. Her hands were clutching to the grass and dirt, her nails snapped as she supported her weight on her arms. Her muscles trembled and ached, yet, she still managed to stand up.

Tsunade and the old man stopped on their tracks, their eyes stared at the rising young girl. Tsunade lips parted in surprise as she looked up at the old man. The blonde-haired woman arched a suspicious eyebrow as a small discrete smile played on his lips.

"Well Tsunade, this is it," Hanabusa said, turning his head towards her.

Tsunade shot him a wonderingly look as she readied herself to battle. Hanabusa smiled and then shrugged his shoulders. Tsunade hands curved into fists as she realized that the old man had no intentions to strike her.

Sakura finally managed to balance herself, digging her feet further in the ground. She tilted her head towards Sasuke and smiled. The weight of the bag reminded of the task she had in her hands.

A cold laugh pierced her soul. She didn't even dare to stare at the source of the laugher.

"You think you can stop it? By yourself?" Madara laughed on, "You won't get there in time,"

Sakura gasped and her eyes widened at what Madara clearly intended to say. The Kyuubi was already on its way towards Konoha.

"What are you waiting for? Sakura, remember everything I taught you,"

Madara spared the old man an amused look as if he had been expecting the old man to switch sides.

Sakura slowly turned around and stared at Hanabusa who spared her a wide smile. She heard Tsunade call out her name and watched as a quick shadow ran past her. She didn't have time to even think or see what was happening. She felt herself being lifted and pushed away. She fell hard on her back.

"Sakura!"

Sakura quickly sat up and watched Sasuke swing his sword at the cloaked figure. He saved her. She didn't even see Madara. That was how fast he was. She swallowed dry as she pushed herself upwards.

Tsunade reached Sakura and turned around to stare at Hanabusa, making sure he was not moving.

"Sakura, go!" Tsunade ordered, not looking away from Hanabusa.

"B-but-" Sakura tried to protest as she watched both Uchiha's move in an abnormal speed.

"You should go too, Tsunade-sama," Hanabusa said, the smile on his face vanished for the first time, "Sasuke-kun and I will make sure we buy you some time,"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed instantly. Sakura shook her head, "Hanabusa-sama…"

Should she go? Would Hanabusa really stay on Sasuke's side and delay Madara? Or would he play along with the older Uchiha and quickly defeat Sasuke? Even so, if she did go it would only offer the pink-haired girl more advantage. Even if Madara and Hanabusa caught up with them, she would make sure that she bought more time for the young medic-nin.

Hesitantly, Tsunade nodded and held Sakura's arm, dragging her along towards the wild woods.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura protested, peeking behind her shoulder. Even though she could not see them anymore, she hoped to see a certain raven-haired boy catch up with them.

"Listen up, Sakura," Tsunade said as she stopped looking straightly at Sakura's eyes, "Sasuke might not return,"

Sakura shook her head, fighting back tears. There was no time to cry.

"And if they come, then you will have to carry on without me,"

"Tsunade-sama I don't-"

"Yosh, let's speed things up, shall we?" Sakura opened her mouth to reply but didn't had enough time, as Tsunade performed a couple of seals and pressed her palm on the ground, "Kuchiyose No Jutsu!"

Sakura watched in awe as she always did when Tsunade-sama summoned Katsuyu. Then she blinked, "Tsunade-sama, a slug… I can't really see how it will make things faster-"

Tsunade sighed and glared down at the young girl, "Sakura, this is not an ordinary slug,"

* * *

Sasuke disregarded the old man dead body and stepped on it as he dashed forward. Madara smiled wickedly at the boy weak attempts to capture him on an illusion.

"Tsk… Tsk…" Madara mocked as he easily deflected Sasuke attacks.

Sasuke clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes in deep thought.

"I can make the Kyuubi disappear… just give me what I need Sasuke-san…" Madara whispered as he appeared right next to Sasuke, startling him, "You still have a lot of years to go, maybe then; you might actually stand a chance,"

The younger Uchiha moved his right arm towards the cloaked man, stabbing the air instead. Madara was now on his other side, "Too slow," and he chuckled, before sending Sasuke flying across the field.

Sasuke stood up, shakily. His katana was nowhere to be found. His chakra was half gone. Whether he liked it or not, things weren't looking that great for him.

"I just need the last seal…" Madara said as he stopped in front of Sasuke, his serious voice was replaced with a more serious one. His patient was becoming to fade away.

Sasuke coughed, small blood particles flew away onto the floor.

"You'll make the Kyuubi disappear?"

Madara smiled, "I'll give you my word, Sasuke-san,"

* * *

The fire seemed an art piece sketched by the hands of God.

A few people remained still, frozen by the destruction of their surroundings. Not one limb of their bodies obeyed to their scared instincts, to the need to turn their backs and run away. Cries echoed through the village making the most insensible person shiver. Wounded and lonely children cried and tried to look out for a familiar face. Frantic parents looked in the chaos of broken walls and trees for their dear ones.

A red-haired woman stood in the middle of the street, her watery eyes fixed upon saddened and heart broken blue ones.

"No! Minato! P-p-please!"

"Kushina…"

The blond-haired man dared his guilty eyes away from the woman he loved the most.

His wife.

With a short nod of his head, the other two figures pressed their arms around the struggling woman. She stretched her hand as she screamed for his name; tears blurred her vision as she could no longer feel her feet on the ground.

-

* * *

A/N: OH MY GOD! Have you people read the latest chapter of Naruto? HE CAN'T! HE SIMPLY CAN'T! –dies-


	23. Vinte e Tres

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine! –Sniffs-

A/N: Once again, I would love to thank you all for reviewing! Each one of them means a lot to me and brings me to sit down more often to write another chappie. I know this one and the latest ones are somewhat short. But I promise! Next one will be a big big big chapter!

* * *

Flaming Heart

Chapter 23

* * *

"I will give you my word, Sasuke-san,"

Sasuke lowered his head, fixing his gaze at his feet. He could taste the red liquid in his own lips, his own blood mixed with sweat. He closed his eyes for some brief seconds completely unaware of Madara's pleased look. With his eyes closed, Sasuke could think clearly. Because then, he could see them as clear as crystal water.

He could see a whiskered smiling face and intense bright blue eyes looking straight back at him, reminding him of a promise that was still to be fully completed.

He could see a smiling dark-haired woman holding a young boy. A stern looking man walking closely behind, his dark eyes fixed on his wife and son.

There were no other options left.

Slowly, the young boy raised his head and wiped the blood away from his lips. Red bloodied eyes met another equal pair.

"Well, Sasuke-san… what do you say?" Madara tilted his head to the side in an expectant manner. Slowly, he pressed his lips firmly together as the raven-haired boy in front of him narrowed his eyes.

Sasuke lips curved slyly, "Thank you, but I will have to pass on your offer," he answered, skimming his right leg forward.

"Oh?" Madara questioned, raising an intrigued eyebrow, "You can't actually think that you stand a chance, boy," a strange and unfamiliar tone graced the older Uchiha's voice. Madara's eyes narrowed slightly as Sasuke stretched his hand, sputtering of lightening surrounding it.

He did not even want to think what would happen if the last seal landed on Madara's hands. What damage would he cause afterwards? What were his true intentions?

"Sasuke-san…" the older Uchiha spoke with a warning pitch present in his cold voice.

Sasuke raised his chin confidently and knitted his eyebrows together; a war cry escaped his lips as he sped up towards the tall-cloaked man. At every step the boy took, he could hear his own heartbeat buzzing in his ears. The ground shook beneath him as he readied himself to jump.

Madara remained motionless as his red eyes read the young boy every move. There was no reaction present in his statue-like features. He watched calmly as Sasuke descended towards him, his lightening hand stretched, more than ready to strike.

Time passed painfully slowly. Sasuke eyes widened as Madara quickly stepped backward. Madara stretched his own arm, holding tightly onto Sasuke's hand, immediately stopping his chakra course.

Sasuke gasped quietly just before Madara kicked him in the chest. A loud cough escaped his mouth as his wide eyes locked themselves with his opponent ones.

Without warning, Sasuke's world became pitch black. He watched as his own hands started to melt; Madara's figure was standing right in front of him, simply watching.

The older Uchiha allowed the tiniest flicker of surprise etch its way onto his face.

"A Bunshin?" Madara inquired. Softly, he shook his head and dismissed his illusion.

Madara walked towards a panting Sasuke, "The fun ends here, Sasuke-san,"

Sasuke coughed once more and then there was a brief following moment of silence. Sasuke managed to stand up and stared at the cloaked man with a shrewd smirk decorating his beaten features.

"Aha," said Sasuke, feeling his entire energy die away. The fast rhythm of his heart slowed down to an odd relaxing beating.

Madara nodded to himself as a wide creepy smile took over his face. He leaned forward and stared at the dead man in front of him.

The white vestment, the tattoo and the headband deceived no one.

A leaf ANBU.

"Seems like I underestimated you," said Madara as he turned around, his long cloak billowed behind him.

* * *

Sasuke blinked a few times as he let go of the seal. Small drops of sweat glued his raven-hair onto his face. His lower lip trembled in anger but more particularly in desperation. The moonlight lightened up his somber and troubled features. Copying and mastering the technique that Hanabusa-sama taught him had proved to be harder than he thought. Sasuke knew the exact seals, the exact amount of chakra needed to perform the technique and yet, it had exhausted him more than he expected.

Slowly, he stood up from the cold moist grass and stared straight ahead. He was not far from Konoha and he could only hope that Sakura would be able to arrive soon. He hoped that he was able to buy her enough time.

Sasuke took in a deep breath before he dashed away through the depth of the forest. He blinked softly as his thoughts floated away towards the dead old man. It was thanks to Hanabusa-sama that Sasuke achieved such advanced jutsu.

Suddenly, Sasuke narrowed his eyes; his right hand curved into a fist.

He still could not believe he lost so easily. There was no way he could defeat Madara based on skill alone. Madara was on such a different level, one that Sasuke needed a pair of wings to be able to reach it. The young Uchiha onyx eyes became blood-like as frustration got the best of him.

Sure. Deep inside, Sasuke knew. He never expected that a mere _sacrifice _with only thirty percent of his chakra would be capable to inflict any serious damage against Madara.

* * *

"I want a group of five men to secure the villagers; right now our priority is to evacuate everyone," Minato paused; his breathing was irregular as he stared at the ANBU battalion. His stomach contorted painfully as he stared at a special ANBU man who was standing in the first line.

Five men stepped aside and nodded shortly before they disappeared.

Minato sighed deeply as he ran a trembling hand through his messy blond-hair. He cleared his throat and looked back at the same ANBU man.

"You," Minato extended his arm and swallowed dry as he pointed at the ANBU masked man, "You and three others will patrol our borders,"

Even though, the ANBU had his features concealed with a mask, Minato could imagine perfectly his expression. He could see shocked look, the widened eyes, and the parted mouth.

"Hokage-sama! I—"

"Go!" Minato half-shouted startling a few men.

Everyone looked up at the Hokage with new eyes, finally understanding the seriousness of the problem in their hands. They had never seen the Hokage as they were seeing now. The desperation that swam in his usual bright blue eyes made the strongest man shiver with sorrow. Anxiety grew inside them at an incredible speed as they stood still, waiting for orders to come. Their thoughts often darted away towards their loved ones. Were they okay? Were they going to make it? If so, the last question that rang inside their head, the most painful question was… am I going to see them one last time?

That question too rang inside the Hokage's head.

He had his soul split between his family and his village.

The ANBU man finally nodded, turning around to pick a few man to follow him.

Minato watched him and a few other ANBU go. His blue eyes seemed to shine intently and if someone could have a peek closer, they would think that Minato was about to cry. However, they could not be more wrong.

The Hokage arrived to a new conclusion. His soul was intact. His soul was still in one piece because his family was his village.

"Listen up," Minato said as he stepped forward, raising his head towards the mocking sky. The sky was colored with vast amounts of orange and red, marking the start of a sunrise, "take your masks off," Minato added as he stuck his trembling hands inside his pocket.

There were a few shocked murmurs. The ANBU nins stared at each other in confusion, some even asked if they had heard the Hokage correctly.

"Take your masks off," the Hokage repeated, not taking his eyes away from the sky.

The ANBU nins, slowly complied. One by one, they took their masks off.

"Now take a close look to the man who's by your side," there was a deafening silence after the blond-haired man words, "Look closely, for that man's face might be the last one you'll see today," there was a small noise from Minato's side, making him look away from the colorful sky.

His blue eyes met dark ones. Right beside him stood a white-haired man. Jiraiya nodded at Minato and forced a smile on his face. Minato shook his head; a small smile decorated his features.

"Danger has come knocking on our village door. It killed many women, many honorable men and many of our children," there was a knot on Minato's throat as he carried on, "We will fight the Kyuubi. We will raise our heads and look directly at the beast eyes. We will not succumb in vain," Minato stopped; his hands were no longer inside his pockets. They were not trembling anymore. Somehow, having Jiraiya by his side, made things easier, "we will defend our home, our family, our friends,"

"H-hai!"

A short dark-skinned ANBU nin yelled, raising his fist.

Minato nodded at the dark-skinned ANBU, "Are you ready?" he asked loudly, feeling his frantic heartbeat.

"Hai!"

Many shouts filled with hope echoed through the cold deadly air. Suddenly the shouts faded away as a louder sound took over. A terrifying loud roar licked their bones and froze their blood.

* * *

The ANBU man could feel his heart stop as a loud roar interrupted the unendurable silence. The other three ANBU men stopped behind him and turned around with wide eyes. A soft relief sound escaped their mouths as they realized that the beast was nowhere close.

"This is…" one of the three ANBU men started as he turned back around, "This is the end, isn't it?"

The other two gasped, horrified that the man spoke aloud their own thoughts.

The other ANBU man, the same ANBU-nin that Minato ordered to leave to patrol the borders, slowly turned around.

"This is not the end!" there was scorn and hatred present in his voice. The other three tilted their head to stare at him, "You should be more confident. You should trust in the Hokage,"

"Easy there!" one of the others interjected raising a hand, "We weren't-"

"What the-"

"What is _that_?"

"Shhh! Silence!"

* * *

The wind slapped Sakura across the face. Her cheeks were becoming red, from the ruthless cold. Her whole body was shivering, now if it was due to the cold air or because she just finished trespassing Konoha's borders, she did not have a clue. However, she suspected that it was combination of both. The pink-haired girl embraced herself as she stared straight ahead. Tsunade-sama was not lying when she said that her slug was not an ordinary one. To be able to travel this fast and adapt to the unbalanced ground, was truly remarkable. Sakura darted her gaze away from their path and stared at Tsunade who was standing on her feet, arms crossed, blonde hair flying behind her.

At that very moment, as the beautiful colours of the sky bathed the blonde-haired woman, Sakura could not help but to admire her. Tsunade had a determinate glitter in her honey eyes, her lips were firmly knitted together and her narrowed eyebrows gave her a mysterious look. It was as if, the blonde-haired woman was marching towards war with a winning plan, under her sleeve.

Only that, Sakura knew that Tsunade winning plan relied on her. Sakura felt like she had a black hole in her stomach, consuming everything on its path. She hoped that the black hole would hurry up and consume her too. She knew, Tsunade knew… that she was not ready to do the seal.

Tears threatened to fall down as Sakura realized what would happen in case she failed. Everyone's hopes would crash down. Sasuke and Naruto effort would just be in vain.

Weak… she was weak until the very end.

"Sakura…"

Sakura blinked softly as she focused her stare on the blonde-haired Sannin.

Tsunade was still staring ahead, watching as her summon destroyed the trees as they advanced.

"I have never met someone like you," Tsunade paused, there was this uncomfortable weight inside her, "I thought… I thought that no one would be able to possess such qualities," Sakura's eyes widened, "that night, when I saw you at that bench… somehow, I knew… I could feel it…"

Sakura shook her head. She had her green eyes enthralled by the older woman.

"The look on your eyes when you first saw me, the way my name was pronounced… there was a part of me that recognized you…" Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows further, "you had this air on you, an air that you thought you were able to conceal... oh but I could see it all right! I could see it in your eyes. You were like a dying flower in winter,"

Sakura sniffed softly.

"You were covered in darkness… in sadness… then… t-then," Tsunade took a deep breathe, "Then he came into your life,"

Sakura held her breath, scared to let go of the crying sobs.

"Kakashi... he's a good kid too," Tsunade finished, tilted her head and stared at the fragile girl, "Young love has to be the best thing in the world. What makes the world worth of spinning," Tsunade paused, a sad smile made its way onto her face, "I'm so sorry, things went this way,"

Sakura nodded. She understood it now. Tsunade was saying her good-bye. Somehow, it felt like someone was strangling her heart.

Suddenly, the slug came to an abrupt stop, almost causing Tsunade to fall off. Sakura lips parted as she stared at the raven-haired boy in front of her.

"S-s-sasuke!" she exclaimed, her eyes widened as she saw no scratch on him.

"Uchiha!" said Tsunade as she jumped from the slug towards the ground, "H-how?"

Sakura eyes narrowed, "Tsunade-sama! Don't! It's not Sasuke-kun," there was no way that Sasuke could have caught up with their speed.

Sasuke smirked, "Sakura, Tsunade,"

Tsunade arched an eyebrow in suspicious as she studied the boy in front of her, "Prove it's you, Uchiha,"

"Hn," Sasuke grumbled in displeasure as he stared at the blonde-haired woman, "fine," he agreed after some brief seconds. Afterwards, he turned his head towards Sakura, "I fought Gaara of the desert in the chuunin exams,"

Sakura suspicious glare softened up, "That's the only thing you could remember to come up with?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth to reply. However, Tsunade stopped him.

"Explain, Uchiha. How on earth did you caught up with us and how on earth you left without a scratch?" Tsunade asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Shouten No Jutsu," Sasuke replied, ignoring the incredibility look stamped on the Sannin woman face. However, after noticing that Sakura has no idea what he was on about he decided to elaborate, "I learned it with Hanabusa-sama," Sakura winced slightly at the past memories, "it allows you to sacrifice a body that will take how you look like. The sacrifice will work as a host from the moment you inject some chakra in it,"

Sakura emerald eyes sparkled slightly as she stared at Sasuke. She had always known he was smart, but to be able to perform such technique… it was quite something.

"Tsunade," Sasuke sounded demanding.

Tsunade raised her chin defiantly as she stared at the raven-haired Uchiha, "What?"

"Please go ahead without us,"

Both Tsunade and Sakura blinked at Sasuke's words.

"Why?!" Tsunade demanded as she stared at Sakura from the corner of her eyes.

"There are some things that are needed to be said…before-"

"Alright! I get it," Tsunade climbed back on the slug. She stared one last time at Sakura before she disappeared between the trees.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but was not fast enough.

* * *

He ignored the chaotic scenario in front of him. He had his eyes fixed intently on the two remaining figures. He stared and took a mental photograph of the pink-haired girl. Her hair was longer and held tightly on an improvised ponytail. Her messy and long fringe was dancing along with the wind.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as the raven-haired boy disappeared and reappeared behind her.

He heard the three other ANBU-nins move quietly behind him. "Wasn't that Tsunade-sama?" he heard one of them ask.

"Who are those two?"

"How should I know?"

* * *

Everything stopped at that exact moment.

The wind ceased instantly, her fringe covered her wide green eyes. Her skin began to prickle, painfully slowly, accompanying the slow beating of her heart.

Memories came back to her at an incredible speed. It was like a puzzle inside her head. One particular piece was more prominent than all the others were. She could see herself, a younger Sakura, tears falling down like a waterfall.

"_Why Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she started to cry, "Why won't you ever tell me anything? Why is it always silence with you? You've never shared a single thing-"_

"_Why should I have to tell you anything?" Sasuke interrupted, "Just keep your nose out of my business. It's none of your concern…"_

_Sakura swallowed dry and tasted her own tears._

"_I know you hate me. Even in the beginning, you could never stand me. Do you remember? Back when we made Genin and we were assigned to our three man squads, we were alone together right here on this very spot. You got so mad at me that day,"_

"_It was so much fun," Sakura finished, "I know about your clan Sasuke, I do, but seeking revenge, that wont bring anyone happiness, nobody at all. Not you and not me."_

"_I knew it," Sasuke said, "I'm not the same as you. I am travelling a path the rest of you cannot follow. I know that the four of us have worked together, and for a while, I thought I could take that road instead. However, in the end, I have decided on revenge. That has always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you or Naruto."_

"_Don't do this Sasuke! You do not have to be alone. You told me that day how painful solitude can be and I understand that pain now! I have family, and friends. However, if you were gone Sasuke it would be the same thing for me as being all alone," She finished, her knees were starting to become weak. Her heart bled internally. _

"_Sasuke," Sakura pleaded, "I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it! If you would only be with me, I promise I would never let you regret it!" she sobbed loudly before she carried on, "Every day will be a joy, and I can give you happiness! I will do anything for you Sasuke! So please I am begging you! Do not walk away! I will even help get your revenge. I will do whatever it takes to make it happen I swear! So stay here, with me and if you can't, take me with you Sasuke!"_

"_You haven't changed, you're still annoying," Sasuke answered, his dark eyes penetrated her soul, sucking in every warmth left in her. _

"_Don't leave me!" Sakura yelled as despair rose inside her, "If you go I'll scream and-"_

_Sasuke appeared behind her, "Sakura, thank you."_

"Sakura…" there was a long pause and yet she did not move. Her legs would not budge; her heart was slowing down more and more, "Thank you,"

"For what?" Sakura asked, surprised that her voice had come out intact.

"For believing in me,"

Darkness claimed Sakura.

* * *

The ANBU mask fell down hard on the ground as he ran towards the unconscious pink-haired girl. The other three ANBU remained in their spots, staring at the silver-haired boy as he dodged the thorny bushes.

"It's the Hokage apprentice," one of the ANBU said.

"Nah, yah think?!" another ANBU-nin added sarcastically.

The silver-haired boy slowed down as he approached her sleeping form. His dark eye widened slightly as he watched her pale features. There was a single teardrop falling down her face.

"Sakura…" he whispered softly as he kneeled down. His arms quickly surrounded her body, bringing her close to him. Kakashi took in her scent and smiled foolishly to himself as he realized that she smelled exactly like in her dreams.

"Hatake!" one of the ANBU nin called out startling the copy-nin.

Kakashi slowly stood up, pressing the unconscious girl to his chest. He stared wonderingly at the three ANBU.

"Shouldn't the girl be evacuated as well?"

The question got Kakashi completely out of guard. He stared at the three ANBU men with completely new eyes. They were not a bunch of incompetents as he had labeled them before.

"Hai," Kakashi answered, "I will take her myse—" he stopped talking as Sakura shifted slightly. He almost forgot how to breathe as he stared down at the pink-haired girl. She had to stay unconscious as long as possible, "myself," he finished with a whisper.

The others nodded shortly, "We will take over, do not worry,"

Kakashi nodded back, "Thanks,"

* * *

A/N: I'm searching for some capable ninjas to go to Japan with me. Target: Kishimoto.


	24. Vinte e Quatro

Disclaimer: You know the deal... Naruto does not belong to me.

* * *

**Flaming Heart**  
Chapter 24

* * *

There was an uncomfortable feeling swimming inside of him, a hot flame that licked his belly up to his chest. He had noticed his presence not too far from the place he left Sakura, so why was he worrying? Sakura was in good hands now. He was sure that Kakashi-sensei would take good care of her. Sasuke's lips slightly curved upwards as he closed the space between him and the village. His thoughts travelled back to Hanabusa-sama house, to her big green sad eyes. He knew then, what the pink-haired girl really was scared of and it amazed him. It shocked him, even.

She was not scared to die. She was scared that she would have to leave them behind. Leave him behind. Every time he looked at her, he would notice the crucial changes. She was no longer the twelve-year old girl he used to know. She was not weak anymore; in fact, he was inclined to admit that she was stronger in many ways than he was.

The wind seemed to have returned as a soft chill travelled up his spine. He swallowed dry as he stared at the wrenched Konoha's gates. His feet dragged him across the dead streets, his nose twisted at the intense smell of burnt flesh. There was a strange noise behind him, making him spin automatically. Sasuke analyzed his surroundings, his dark eyes switched to crimson ones. After a while, he concluded that there was nothing there.

Sasuke was quite impressed that he found no living soul. The evacuation had been successful and fast. Sometimes Sasuke would see dead people, crushed by some buildings. His crimson eyes widened as he spotted two children. One was half-buried under some detritus with his small chubby arm stretched, his dirty hand held the other child hand, that had died due to the Kyuubi massacre.

Something irked him at that instant. He carried on walking, trying to forget the distressing scene. As he arrived to a small deserted square, Sasuke tilted his head towards the Hokage's stone figures. He remained motionless, his eyes stopping on the fourth Hokage face. There was a warm sensation growing inside him as he stared at the respectful figure, Naruto's father.

"Tsk, who would have thought that dobe had such an important father?" he asked aloud as he turned his back on the stone figures. His eyes noticed the red chakra floating in the sky; the wind seemed to have dragged it from the west. Sasuke took a deep breath as he ran towards west, the training fields.

Sasuke jumped down from a surviving treetop and stared ahead. It felt as if his lungs had been ripped apart, leaving him breathless. His crimson eyes stared at the countless dead shinobi, then slowly the raven-haired boy darted his eyes towards the huge creature. He watched impotently as the Kyuubi swung its nine tails around making enormous craters at the impact. A loud angry roar filled the air and Sasuke felt the earth under his feet tremble. It was as if the earth itself coiled at every impact and trembled of fear.

Suddenly, something completely unexpected blocked Sasuke's view. Sasuke's lips parted as his eyes fell on the gigantic toad. A blond-haired man was standing on the toad back with his arms crossed. Next to the fourth Hokage, Sasuke recognized Jiraiya. Another unexpected thing happened as a giant slug placed itself next to the toad.

The Uchiha legs seemed to refuse to obey to him. Sasuke had his legs glued to the floor and he stood still, simply staring as the Hokage ordered everyone to stay back. Many Shinobi complied at once, while others looked shocked at such command. Others vehemently refused and stood by the toad's side, ready to give their all.

Then something else caught the dark-haired boy completely out of guard. His stomach contorted painfully as he spotted familiar faces emerging from the destroyed forestation, towards the green clearing. Sasuke watched as his own father made his way towards the Hokage.

The Hokage and all the others looked quite surprised as a large part of the Uchiha clan stepped inside the wrecked training field. The Kyuubi seemed to sense something as it started to get more agitated by the minute. The Hokage gave Sasuke's father a quick nod. Sasuke's father nodded as well and turned around to stare at the clan. He shouted some orders, orders that Sasuke could not hear from the place he was standing.

It looked as if the Uchiha's had agreed to help.

Sasuke softly shook his head. He could not just stay there and watch! That was not what he came for. Moreover, he could not allow his family to get hurt or dobe's father. The young Uchiha took a deep breath as he forced his own legs forward. His entire body shook with anxiety; his lower lip trembled with fear. Fear of dying in vain. Everything depended on him now; he had to make sure that he was going to make it.

Sasuke sped up towards the front lines, ignoring the shocked look everyone gave him.

"U-Uchiha?!" Tsunade exclaimed as she held tightly on to her summon. Her eyes displayed shock and confusion. She took a quick look at her surroundings, her eyes widened, as she could not find the pink-haired girl.

The Hokage raised a curious eyebrow and turned to stare at Jiraiya who nodded his head. Therefore, the dark-haired boy was Sasuke. He heard all about him from Jiraiya.

"What the hell?" a few Uchiha nins asked in unison as they noticed that the unknown boy possessed their clan heritage.

A few others seemed to notice the awkward and shocking similarity between the Konoha's chief police and the strange boy.

* * *

He had been walking for a while now. He felt strong, physically strong as he carried the pink-haired girl in his arms. He thought of himself as a giant shield and there was nothing now that would make him let go of her. He would shield her against the silly destiny that she had marked for herself. He would make her see that there was still hope and that no one should die. There had been enough deaths already.

"K-Kakashi…"

The silver-haired jounin stopped in his tracks and slowly looked down on the fragile girl in his arms. He watched her look straight back at him with wide, candid, newly opened eyes, opened now with supreme shock.

Kakashi went very white as he stood, and did not move, for he was scared that she would disappear by magic as if he did so. Still, even though he could not move, his eyes were held by hers, and he suffered. He pressed his lips tightly, afraid that he would express loudly the intense pain in his chest.

Sakura swallowed dry as she stared at the uncovered face that she had dreamt about for whole six months. His midnight-blue mask was down and hanging on his neck. She shivered slightly as she became aware of his strong arms around her body. Slowly, she reached forward, trying to break herself free from his captivating eyes.

Her strange movement was an agony to him; it looked like a slow insinuation of a kiss that made something break in his brain. A cold shiver travelled up and down his spine, making him lean forward.

He had her in his arms, and obliterated, found himself kissing her. And it was pure, blenched torture to him, to break away from himself. Sakura was there so small and light and accepting in his arms, like a child, and yet with such a suggestion of embrace, of an everlastingly embrace, that he could not bear it.

Sakura felt her feet touch the ground as Kakashi slowly and gently let her go. Yet, as soon as she touched the ground, his arms were snaked around her waist possessively. A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt his cold touch. She instinctively snuggled closer, burying her face on his chest, listening to his frantic heartbeat.

Kakashi closed his eyes as her hands clutched to his white vestment.

Her heart started to race at the same rhythm as his. She could feel her cold body become warmer as it always did when she was around him.

"Kakashi…"

"Shhh…"

Kakashi pressed her closer; one hand was tightly secured on her back while the other held the back of her head, caressing her hair.

"Kakashi…"

This time he did not say anything to stop her.

"I… I love you,"

Kakashi opened his eyes at her soft whisper. His stomach twisted with a pleasurable feeling, making his heart almost falter.

"Baka," Kakashi whispered back, "I love you too…"

Sakura nodded slowly before she looked up into his mismatched eyes.

"I love you too," Kakashi repeated softly.

There was a silent moment between them, words were not necessary anyway. Kakashi slowly shook his head and held her too tightly making Sakura wince.

"No…" he whispered.

"I…"

"No," He repeated more firmly as he stared deeply at her remorseful her green eyes.

"I have to!" Sakura broke out, squirming to break free from his embrace. A loud sob escaped her lips as part of her wanted to stay still and be with him.

"Sakura-"

"Sasuke... he... h-he... he needs me!"

Kakashi looked as if she had just slapped him across the face. Sakura felt her heart die. It fell to the floor and lay bleeding. The sadness dripped from her eyes, ever so slowly. She tried to be strong, choking down her sobs.

"Sakura… don't you understand?" Sakura raised her eyes and stared back at him with a wondering expression, "He… he wanted to you stay,"

Sakura shook her head in denial, "Sasuke… he c-can't do it all by himself…" she whispered refusing to believe Kakashi's words, "he c-can't…"

Kakashi nodded, accepting her words, "Okay," he said after a while, "then I will have to force you to stay," he finished, hearing her gasp.

Sakura eyes widened at the threat present in his voice. She wriggled again and tried to break free but with no sucess. She cried out as she forced her chakra and delivered a small blow on his chest, causing him to let go and stumble backwards. She closed her eyes as she turned her back on the silver-haired boy. Her legs weighted more than ever as she started to walk away.

"You have to understand… I wouldn't be able to live with myself,"

Kakashi swallowed dry as he shakily stood up. He ran after the pink-haired girl, jumped in mid-air and crashed into her, sending them both rolling on the floor. Each of them fought for dominance. Kakashi found himself straddling the young medic-nin. His hands had her wrists pinned down.

Some of his silver hair fell down, almost covering his eyesight. He watched as her breasts heaved up and down with her accelerating breathing. Tears welled up in her emerald eyes as she stared into his eyes.

Hurting him was like ripping her soul apart.

"I'm not letting you walk away one second time," Kakashi voice came out so broken that Sakura thought she could die right there. She did not need the Kyuubi to finish her off… looking at his saddened eyes, made her beg for instant death.

"P-please…" Sakura pleaded silently. She closed her eyes as she felt his quick breathing in her face.

"I… I'd die if I lose you too," Kakashi said increasing the pressure on her wrists.

Sakura sniffed as tears blurred her vision, "So… S-sorry-" she whispered as tears kept falling.

She was so tired. She was tired of the heartache, of feeling so helpless, of feeling so empty. If only she had stayed in her own time… it would have made things so much easier. There was a hard pang inside her heart as she shook away her awful thoughts. If she had not been this way then she would have never met him, his younger self. She would not know something so precious, something so strong that made her love for Sasuke look tedious, look so false.

"Sorry," Sakura repeated as she bit back a sob. She focused on her chakra once again and managed to get Kakashi off her with brute strength.

Kakashi fell on his back but did not have time to process what happened. He stood up as fast as he could.

Green bright orbs met two different eyes.

The dark eye stared at her, mirroring the amount of agony she was feeling. The crimson eye stared at her free of any emotions. For a brief moment, Sakura forgot how to breathe as his sharingan started to spin.

However, Sakura was faster; she quickly released the upcoming illusion, blocking it from the start, stopping it from trapping her. Kakashi groaned in frustration and tried to catch her gaze once more. Sakura quickly avoided his eyes, lowering her head to the floor.

"I do not belong here, Kakashi," said Sakura. She was quite surprised with the strong tone her voice possessed. She felt a cold feeling travel through her as she remembered Sarutobi wise words.

The third was right. Sakura did not have a place in this time. She needed to perish, so that she could give space for her future self to be born.

"How can you say that?" Kakashi asked, trying to understand the deep meaning of her words.

"If I stay… I will be challenging the natural course of life… I will be ruining time," She answered as she hugged herself in a miserable attempt to warm herself, to make her stop shivering.

Kakashi snorted, "I think you are too late," he took a step closer, "you already have changed so many things… do you actually think that the future will not suffer its consequences?"

Sakura nodded slowly, "You're right," she whispered sadly, "I have changed so much already,"

"Then… then why?"

"Because he is my team mate," Sakura said shortly not daring to look at Kakashi, "and you are my sensei,"

"I'm not your sensei," Kakashi finally spoke, "I am your team mate," he said, nodding as if it would help convincing himself, "You don't have to be afraid of the future Sakura,"

Sakura eyes widened.

"You don't have to throw your life away just because it hurts so much," Kakashi took another step closer. He was glad that he had absolute control over his legs again, "I understand it now,"

"S-stop," Sakura shook her head, stepping backwards as she noticed how close the silver-haired boy was.

"I understand it," he repeated feeling a lot better than before, "I understand why you want to die along with him," Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment, "It hurts, Sakura. I know it does and perhaps if I was in your shoes, I'd want the same ending for myself,"

"Stop it!" Sakura pleaded as she shook her head, her hair slowly fell from the black ponytail holder, reaching the middle of her back.

"But if you throw your life away…" Kakashi paused as he stopped right in front of the pink-haired girl. He slowly placed his hands on her cheeks, pulling her face closer to his, "how else are you going to help, to make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be?"

Sakura hands slowly moved upwards. She placed them on top of his large hands. She was trembling so much that she feared that she would stay like that forever. She giggled foolishly at her own thought.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he stared at the woman in front of him.

* * *

There were cries filling out the cold air. Many old women refused to walk further giving the genins and chuunins a hard time. They protested, saying that they would not budge, that they could not leave their home behind.

"Look old lady," a young boy said in exasperation, "there is nothing left behind us, the whole village is destroyed,"

The old woman eyes widened as she stared at the young boy. She placed a trembling hand on the boy's shoulder and shook her head.

"M'boy you d-don't understand! M-My husband… he was l-left behind!"

The genin offered her a sympathetic smile, "No one was left behind," he said as he stared at the confused old woman hazel eyes, "If your husband is not with us, then… then he-"

"NO! That- That is not possible!" The old woman shrieked in despair. The young boy held her in place, gritting his teeth together, trying to stop her from falling down, "He… he was right behind me!" she said sadly making the boy feel sorry for her.

"Kenji!" a loud voice echoed from behind him.

"Kenjiro, help me out," Kenji said as he struggled to keep the old woman up.

Kenjiro quickly placed himself right at his twin brother side. He too held the woman in place and both of them started to walk again, the old woman allowed herself to be dragged along. She had her head down; her gray hair was down, covering her tears.

The twins stared at each other; their brown eyes seemed to be sharing the same expression, the same pain. They turned their heads towards east where a lonely red-haired woman walked painfully slow. She had her eyes on the rising sun, her lips seemed to be moving but they could not hear a sound with so many noise.

They watched as one of her hand caressed her engorged belly. A sad feeling took over them, as they knew how much Kushina-san was hurt.

As if she had sensed that she was being watched, she turned her head and met the twins stare. At first, there was nothing. Her features were blank and hard as a statue, but then they relaxed and she smiled. It was not any smile. It was a tender, loving smile, directed at them.

Kenji and Kenjiro were surprised with the unexpected smile. They wondered why people managed to smile during such times. What made them so strong that even during the most painful times, a smile would always be seen?

Kushina was the type that could smile in times of trouble, as their sister and Sakura could. They could gather strength from distress and break any barrier. They could be stronger than the strongest nin, because they possessed such abilities that they could not fully yet understand.

The red-haired woman slowly looked away and darted her eyes towards the rising sun once again. She sighed deeply as her hand felt the baby kick.

"I know sweet-heart… I know…" she whispered as she fought back the tears that she wanted to cry so badly, "Don't worry, mommy is here," she whispered, feeling her throat becoming dry, "I won't let you alone," she smiled softly, feeling rather foolish as she carried on talking with the baby.

"Daddy is coming back," she said after a brief moment of silence, "I know he will," she muttered darkly, "he better be…"

"MOTHER!"

Kushina was startled as a young girl passed by her with wide-open arms. She watched as the child ran towards the distressed woman, whose eyes lightened up as she stared at her daughter.

"KISA! Oh dear! Oh thank Kami!" the mother hugged her daughter and started to kiss the young girl all over her face, "Oh Kami, thank you!"

Finally, the tears that she had been holding started to fall.

"Minato…"

* * *

She blinked softly as his lips came crashing down on hers without warning. Sakura felt his hot tongue explore her mouth. The kiss seized passion and fire, with a longing flame that could not be extinguished. She stared at his face, he had his eyes closed, yet she could read his features so easily. He was trying to buy time, to make her stay. Even though it somehow seemed to work for she longed for his touch as well, she wanted to stay in his arms for as long as possible. She wanted to feel one with him once again. She wanted to be his and she wanted him to be hers. However, a small part of her wanted to run towards Sasuke. She could not let him have the burden all for himself.

**"And why not?"**

Sakura took a deep breath as Kakashi lips parted away from hers. Her inner self-question echoed torturously inside her head.

**"Didn't his selfishness bring all of this on you?"**

Sakura allowed Kakashi to kiss her once again as she pondered on her inner self-questions.

_Yes, he did._

She consented slowly.

_However, he did not expect me to be caught in his plan. It was an accident._

Somehow, she expected her inner self to counter argue but she could not hear anything. Slowly, she pushed herself away from Kakashi.

Kakashi was right. Sasuke decided his own path and if he left her behind it was because he wanted her to stay. He wanted to make it up to her somehow. He was going to fulfill his promise to Naruto, he was going to finally have his happy ending and he wanted her to have hers.

"Then…"

"Then?" Kakashi asked, hoping that she would agree with his reckoning.

"Then…" Sakura repeated, "Then I will have to say good-bye," Kakashi waited silently for her to carry on. "I need to tell him good-bye,"

"Sakura…" Kakashi started, feeling something born inside of him, "I don't think there is time-"

"I need to!" she said immediately, "I need to see him one last time," Sakura stopped talking for a while, "Besides... we have to make sure Minato-sensei doesn't do anything stupid,"

Kakashi eyes seemed to have gained instant life, "Does this mean that y-you'll stay?"

"I'm not going anywhere," She answered, nodding her head, "not as long your standing by my side,"

"Then you have to hurry," Kakashi said as he held her hand, "Let's go,"

Sakura closed her eyes as she let Kakashi lead the way. Everything seemed to make sense now and she had to admit that somehow she liked how everything sounded. Everyone would have their own piece of happiness. Even, if her piece of happiness was achieved in the strangest possible way.

She had felt whole again, even if only for a while. She found a second home with people she grow to love and consider as family. She had lost a sister along the way, yet, she still felt home, because there was still someone keeping her trapped. As long as Kakashi was by her side, she should not have to feel intimidated. The consequences of meddling with time seemed so small now as she felt the pressure of his cold hand.

"We're almost there," Kakashi whispered, awaking Sakura to the harsh reality.

Her green eyes stared at the horrible destruction that surrounded them both. The village, her home was completely worn out. With her free hand, Sakura covered her mouth as memories of the day that the Akatsuki assaulted the village played in her mind.  
They needed to hurry. They needed to make sure Minato-sensei would be able to survive. Sakura wanted to make sure that Naruto would be able to have someone to be there for him, to change his diapers, to teach him how to cook, to teach him at least some manners.

* * *

The Kyuubi roared in fury and swung its nine tails repeatedly. It opened its mouth, more and redder chakra kept leaking out onto the sky.

"W-Where is Sakura?" Tsunade asked at once.

Sasuke did not stop to look at her, "She is fine," it was his only answer as he carried on walking, fighting the urge to stare at hisown father whose prying eyes were firmly set on him.

"Fine…" Tsunade repeated softly, her honey eyes stared at the dark-haired boy as if she was staring at him for the very first time. All the animosity that she had felt before completely died away, "Thank Kami," she added in a soft whisper.

Minato smiled softly as he stared at the dark-haired boy, "Is she with Kakashi?" he asked knowingly.

Sasuke stopped and turned around to look at the blond-haired man. His crimson orbs penetrated Minato's blue ones. It felt weird beyond limits. Sasuke felt exactly as if he was staring at a certain hyperactive boy.

"Yes," Sasuke answered shortly, "Hokage… please leave this to me,"

"Don't be foolish boy!" a tall Uchiha man interfered hotly, "What are you trying to accomplish boy? And who the hell are you? I have never seen your face around!"

"Daisuke, quiet," said a strong cold voice.

Sasuke did not need to turn to look at whom the voice belonged. He remembered it well enough.

"So it's true," the man voice reached Sasuke's ears, a warmth sensation took over his entire body, "Sarutobi… I'll be damn… he was right, as always,"

Sasuke turned his attention back to the Hokage, "If you don't name your son Naruto, Sakura will be unstoppable,"

Minato raised a curious eyebrow as he stared down at the young man. In some way, it was as if he was staring at an aged man who had been mistreated by a cold destiny.

"I cannot let you fight on your own," said Minato, staring directly at Sasuke's red orbs.

"Hn," Sasuke, "I expected as much,"

There was a small smile forming on Sasuke's face as he turned around. He would be able to prove his father how stronger he had become. Even if the man did not possess any memory about him, Sasuke felt happy that he had that chance in his hands. In a way, he would be a hero after all, as his brother wanted him to be. This was his chance to redeem himself.

As soon as Sasuke focused his eyes on the nine-tailed beast, something caught his attention. Right behind the beast stood a dark cloaked figure.

"No…" Sasuke whispered in absolute horror as the figure walked towards the field as if he owned it. The Kyuubi paid no attention to the cloaked-figure.

The dark-haired boy heard Tsunade gasp and Jiraiya ask what was going on. However, what his ears paid more attention to, was his name being shouted in the distance. He took a quick look behind his shoulder and watched as the pink-haired girl ran towards him, her wide green eyes filled with panic and fear.

Sasuke turned back around and cursed aloud before he brought his new shape of Sharingan to use.

"Amaretsu,"

"SASUKE!" Sakura shouted as black flames appeared out of nowhere, blocking any possible access to the young Uchiha. Scared that the pink-haired girl would launch herself towards the black flames, Kakashi quickly pulled her behind, causing them both to fall down.

Sakura quickly bolted upright as a mix of a loud roar and an heartbreaking painful scream filled the now beautiful sunny day.

* * *

Several heads turned around as they could hear the loud roar. There was a following silence after everyone started to panic. The genins and chuunins tried to calm everyone down. They were far away from Konoha's borders and that there was no way that the Kyuubi was coming towards them. Some people seemed calmer while others did not believe them one bit.

The twins quickly calmed the old woman down and decided it was for the best if everyone rested for some minutes. They placed her down, next to a large rock and headed towards the other genins.

Suddenly, Kenji spotted Kushina leaning towards a tall tree. She seemed to have trouble in breathing and he hurried towards her.

"Kushina-san! What is the matter?"

The red-haired woman took in a deep breath and stared in horror towards the young boy, she lowered her gaze onto her own legs.  
Kenji gasped, his eyes widened at the quantity of blood.

* * *

A/N: WOah it seems there is alot of people interested in coming to Japan! Yatta! Kishimoto... you're doomed -inserts evil laugh-

Now on to the story itself, okay, so it wasn't a BIG BIG chapter, but I hope it was big enough. Unfortunately I have the flu so I sneaked out of bed while I was home alone and finished the chapter. Go me! The whole chapter sounded great in my head, and I hope it is okay. I know I have a lot of grammar issue, so I also hope it doesn't bother you that much. My beta has disappeared from the map coz' she's pretty busy, so I have no one to do the "dirty" job. Anyways, all in all i hope you'll review. I love to read your thoughts on the story. As always, Thanks for reading!

* * *


	25. Vinte e Cinco

_Flaming Heart_

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**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine…**

**A/N: Not everything goes as planned. I planned to finish this story with the 25****th**** chapter BUT my plot suffered a little change. Still the end is near!! Gosh! I just realized that this is one hell of a drama. Poor Sakura. Maybe I like to make the poor girl suffer –snickers- Nahh.. just kidding. **

**Anyway, as always I want to let you know that I am forever thankful for your wonderful support. You readers are my inspiration. **

**Thanks for reading! And please do not forget to drop a review. **

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Sakura did not know anything anymore. She could not even tell if her heart was still beating, but it was. The pain reminded her and somehow it was keeping her alive. Her eyes were starting to tingle with hot tears as the black daunting flames consumed the landscape, blocking her view. Part of Sakura was screaming but she could not hear her own voice. It was as if she was drowning in ice-cold waters and her lungs could not provide her enough air. Her throat felt like a dead plant in a desert completely dry and helpless.

A pair of strong arms pulled Sakura to her feet. The young desperate girl promptly spun around locking her blurring eyes with his remarkable mismatched ones.

Kakashi could see the despair within her and Sakura could see it too, mirrored in his eyes. It took her some brief seconds to recognize herself.

"Sasuke…" her voice finally broke free making her wince at the croaky, sorrowful tone, "Sasuke!" she repeated strongly, tasting her own tears.

Kakashi held the breathless girl closer and nodded softly, "I know… I know…" he whispered into her right ear, pressing her face into his chest, shielding her from the abnormal heat of the strange dark flames.

* * *

Sasuke could feel the sweat dripping off his brow. The black flames that were surrounding him and the enemy were tall and thick enough to keep everyone away. Slowly, he darted his crimson eyes to the quiet creature that sat like a lost puppy wiggling its nine tails causing small earthquakes each time it hit the ground. Next to the enormous fox stood Uchiha Madara cloaked figure, staring back at Sasuke.

Despite the absurd heat, Sasuke was feeling cold. So cold, that his entire body was tremulous. The purest hate ran through his veins like poison as he stared ahead.

"We meet again,"

That cold God-like voice rang through the dead silent field. Sasuke did not reply. Instead, he pressed his lips together, biting his own tongue, stopping himself from exploding with rage.

Madara's hands pushed back his hood revealing his young-like features. Madara appeared to be in his twenties. He had his long raven-hair neatly secured in a ponytail and his crimson eyes seemed to be redder than any other sharingan.

"Did you have time to ponder on my offer, Sasuke-san?" asked Madara, as one of his gloved hands tenderly touched the nine-tailed fox enormous leg.

Sasuke eyes narrowed at the sharp insult.

"I already gave you my final answer," he answered, raising his chin defiantly.

A cold eerie laugh escaped from Madara's lips. Sasuke's response seemed to have amused him immensely.

"You are still a baby, Sasuke-san!" said Madara as he pointed his index finger at the younger Uchiha, "Can you not see? You are alone, with me! You have nowhere to run and no one to save your soul!"

Madara stopped petting the Kyuubi and elegantly stepped forward, "You should have accepted my offer!" Madara said, twisting his sharp nose in disdain, "You could have at least lived and watch the ones you love live," Madara paused, "You honestly think I'd have to ask for the seal, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke eyes widened in absolute shock as the man in front of him disappeared in a mass of flames. The younger Uchiha forgot how to breathe as a strong punch collided with his back. Sasuke stumbled forward, staring at his own wiggly legs.

"Fuck!" Sasuke cursed loudly as he pressed his both arms on the floor, stopping himself from colliding entirely with the ground. He quickly pushed his body upwards and spun around in time to deflect Madara's kick.

"Oh!" Madara feigned surprise when the younger Uchiha blocked his kick.

Sasuke jumped backwards, ignoring the awful burning sensation on his back. A few locks of dark hair fell to his face, slightly blocking his view. Sasuke's trembling hand ran through his messy and sweaty hair as he glared at the tall Uchiha in front of him.

For some brief moments, he found himself thinking of his older brother. A sudden and odd urge of having his older brother fighting alongside him came down to him unexpectedly. Sasuke knew as he stared at the other smirking figure that he was not strong enough to defeat Madara. How could he bring Madara down when not even his own brother could?

Slowly, he shook his head to the sides.

"Is something the matter, Sasuke-san?" asked Madara, his red eyes sparkled with mockery.

Sasuke did not reply. He quickly glanced around. He could see the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama standing on top of the giant toad. They were looking straight back at him. He nodded to himself, glad that they were not going to interfere.

"Tsk, Tsk," Madara spoke loudly as he too took a good look around.

The black flames looked like demons lurking in the shadows, dancing along with the soft breeze. Sometimes, Madara could distinguish a few Uchiha members behind the flames. He could also see small crimson dots staring directly at him.

His mocking smile disappeared from his features as he redirected his gaze at the younger Uchiha. A small flicker of surprise took over his slumber expression. Madara looked up to the source of the loud cry filled with rage. Sasuke was in mid-air with a maddened look all over his raged face. Madara eyes widened slightly as he stared at the Uchiha's hands consumed in lightening.

"DIEE!" Sasuke's voice echoed through the field as he launched himself towards the Uchiha.

Madara's lips curved upwards in a triumphant smile.

Sasuke finally came down; his lightening bolt went through Madara's skull. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat as he watched the older Uchiha dissolve into curls of smoke.

He did not have any time to blink, not even to wonder when Madara had replaced himself with a clone. Suddenly, he felt something cold across his shoulders. Sasuke was startled at the cold touch, jumping slightly. Yet, two strong hands kept him glued to the ground.

"Let me tell you something about the difference between our powers, Sasuke-san," said Madara in a quiet voice, "My sharingan sees everything, it can see through your miserable illusions, it can see through every step you make, it can even anticipate where you are going to run next,"

Sasuke clenched his jaw as his hand took a kunai from his waist holster.

"Please," Madara added in a bored tone, "You cannot defeat me; it's useless to move a muscle Sasuke-san,"

Madara quickly dodged and immobilized Sasuke's arm when he tried to land a hit. Sasuke yelped as Madara grabbed his arm, twisting it to an uncomfortable position, causing the younger Uchiha to drop the kunai. Then with a simple movement, Madara pulled Sasuke against him, turning him around, so that he could face the young boy. Madara's free hand slowly moved towards Sasuke neck.

Sasuke gritted his teeth together as he sagged in Madara's grip like a marionette without strings. Each breath was an open-mouthed gasp for air.

Both Uchiha's were facing each other, head tilted, foreheads meeting, Madara smiled again.

"It saddens me that things have to end here, Sasuke,"

Sasuke did not have time to avoid what came next.

A heartbreaking and painful scream escaped Sasuke's lips as the wheels of Madara's sharingan started to spin.

* * *

It was still very hard to breathe. Sakura was feeling as if someone buried her with no air to keep her alive. She looked to her left side, at Kakashi. He was leading her towards the giant toad. Sakura found her legs incredibly heavy as she walked forward. From all the curious and shocking looks, it was his that she dreaded the most. She could already feel his intense blue eyes staring at her.

"Sensei!" Kakashi's voice had a nervous timbre, causing Sakura's stomach to contort with uneasiness.

Minato's gaze spotted Kakashi as if he was not there, and then landed on the pink-haired girl. His focused and troubled features softened up, catching her off guard.

"Welcome back,"

Her green eyes widened at his simple words. Something warm swam inside her and for some brief moments Sakura felt like nothing in the world could go wrong.

"Sakura," the pink-haired kunoichi was suddenly brought back to the harsh cruel reality once again as Kakashi's voice rang inside her head. "Come," added Kakashi as he effortlessly climbed onto the giant toad. He extended his arm towards her.

Swallowing dry, Sakura took his hand. Her green eyes stared at his tired expression. She looked at him as if hadn't seen him before. She noticed that he looked somewhat older. There were horrible dark circles around his eyes. Kakashi, noticing her worried features gave her a small forced smile as he dragged her to the top of Jiraiya's summon. A few seconds later, both Kakashi and Sakura were standing on top of the giant toad.

"That Uchiha brat has some guts!" Jiraiya exclaimed, offering Sakura a wide strange smile.

Sakura eyes became soggy as she caught a glimpse of Tsunade-sama. The blonde-haired Sannin had a half-smile plastered on her stern features.

Then, quickly, Sakura jerked her head to the field where Sasuke was standing. All of her remaining strengths were threatening to leave her at any minute. Her big emerald orbs widened as she saw the nine-tailed monster more clearly. It was colossal.

Sakura was already having a hard time to breathe due to the amount of red chakra in the air mixed with the abnormal heat of the dark flames. Then suddenly, it became harder for her to breathe when a dark cloaked figure walked across the field.

"Madara," she whispered, feeling slightly dizzy.

"That man is crazy," she heard Jiraiya say, "Even if he -- does he expect to walk alive from all of us?"

"He has the Kyuubi under his control," said Minato as if he was pointing something that Jiraiya had missed, "Even if we kill Madara, I suspect that we will still have to deal with the Kyuubi,"

Sakura bit her lip, trying to ignore them. Why were they assuming the worst? She jumped slightly when she felt Kakashi hand brush against hers.

"Sasuke!" a painful loud scream escaped from her as Sasuke jumped with his hand consumed in lightening. For a moment, when the lightening hit the enemy a small light of hope filled her heart, but then again, things were too good to be true. The pink-haired girl shook her head in sheer desperation as Madara disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Her eyes widened in horror at what happened next.

Even from where she was standing, she could see Madara's malicious smirk.

Sakura wanted to run towards the cloaked figure and strangle him. She wanted to make him scream and plea for forgiveness. She wanted to watch him suffer; she wanted to make him suffer. She wanted to make him pay for everything he made them go through.  
She wanted to break his fingers, his arms, his legs, she wanted to cut every part of his body, heal all of his wounds and do it all over again and again.

Sakura closed her eyes as Sasuke scream echoed through the dead silent field.

Kakashi swallowed dry. He quickly pulled the pink-haired girl towards him, placing his arms protectively around her. Sakura buried her head into Kakashi chest. Her hands clenched to his white vestment.

Several voices erupted through the cold air. Some were wondering and asking many questions on what the hell was going on.

Sakura slowly raised her hands and covered her ears. She could not stand it anymore. Sasuke scream ceased and she finally opened her eyes. Hesitantly, scared of what she was going to see, Sakura turned around. She watched impotently as Madara let go of Sasuke. He threw Sasuke away as if he was nothing but a mere piece of garbage.

"Sasuke!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice was forgotten in the air, replaced by a loud roar.

The ground shook as the Kyuubi stood up, opening its mouth letting out more red chakra into the air.

Sakura broke free from Kakashi's tight embrace and stepped forward in shock. Her gaze fixed only on Sasuke's unmoving figure.

"Sakura,"

The pink-haired girl stopped as she felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulder. She turned around surprised to see Minato instead of Kakashi.

"Why don't you let the grown ups handle this?"

Minato's smile stunned her.

* * *

"S-S-Somebody help!" Kenji called out as he dropped on his knees. He quickly placed the suffering red-haired woman in a comfortable position. His small brown eyes widened at the quantity of blood. Kenji bit his lip in sheer panic. He didn't know what to do. More streams of blood seemed to flow down Kushina's leg and form a bright pool at her feet.

Kushina was panting heavily. She could feel someone move her; she could hear hurried footsteps, people screaming and talking but could not see anything. Her vision was blurred and her breathing was irregular. There was a sharp pain in her spine every time she took in too much air.

"Shit," Kenjiro cursed as he placed himself next to his brother.

Kenji's hands were trembling violently as he struggled with Kushina's vestments. Her long blue coat had too many buttons and his small fingers did not seem able to do the job. Kenjiro stepped forward and pushed his brother. Kenji fell behind and watched as Kenjiro ripped Kushina's coat apart with a kunai.

"Kushina-san!" Kenjiro called out her name as shook her arm.

Kushina's eyes shot open and a loud scream escaped her lips. She tried to move but Kenji hurried towards her and held her down.

"My baby!" Kushina cried as she gritted her teeth together.

"Calm down!" Kenji whispered as he fought to keep Kushina still.

"What's going on?"

The twins turned their heads and stared at a tall man. He was fully dressed in white and had the symbol of the Hyuuga clan on his white shirt.

"Hizashi-dono!" Kenji exclaimed in relief, "There's something wrong with Kushina-san!"

The man nodded, his long hair swinging softly, "How many months?" he asked as he kneeled next to the boys.

"I don't know!" Kenji replied in frustration, "Maybe six months? Seven?"

Kushina closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness took over all of her senses. She moaned Minato's name as darkness descended upon her.

"Hmm…" Hizashi Hyuuga checked the red-haired woman pulse. It was irregular and abnormally fast. With his free hand, he touched her forehead and frowned. She had a fever.

"Is she in labor?" Kenji asked as he stared at Kushina in worry.

"No," Hizashi answered as he locked his Byakugan eyes with the twin's brown ones, "She is not in labor. She is not having any contractions," after his short explanation, Hizashi pulled Kushina's shirt and he stared at her large belly. He placed a hand on top of it and focused his gaze.

Kenji and Kenjiro traded worried looks.

"It's the baby," The Hyuuga said gravely, "It changed to a complicated position,"

"Is she… going to be okay?" Kenjiro asked, hoping for an affirmative answer.

Hizashi stared at the twins and shook his head, "I am afraid that she needs some medical assistance,"

Kenji cursed loudly as he stared at the unconscious woman. There was no one able to help her. "If only… if only nee-san was here with us," he whispered as tears stung his eyes.

Kenjiro shot him a furious look, "Well she isn't!"

Hizashi stared at the two children, a curious expression on his usual inflexible face.

"We have to do this by ourselves!" Kenjiro stood up, "I'm going back,"

Kenji eyes widened, "What? You cannot go back! The Kyuubi is still-"

"So we run like cowards? We have to go back. There is no one here that can help Kushina-san!" Kenjiro replied shaking his head as tears started to fall down his pale features, "Tsunade-sama is the only one who can help us…"

"Kenjiro," Kenji looked at his twin with sad eyes. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one to protect Kenjiro now that nee-san was in heaven, "H-hai!" Kenji nodded, "We'll go together,"

Kenjiro opened his mouth to answer but the Hyuuga interrupted him. Hizashi was impressed with the will power of the young twins, "You both go," Hizashi said as he ripped a part of Kushina's blue coat, "I will take care of the woman. Go as fast as you can. Avoid the east side, it's covered in ruins and it will be a harder path,"

The twins nodded.

"Thank you Hizashi-dono," said Kenji as he stood up, looking one last time at the trembling red-haired woman.

Kenji turned around and walked towards his brother. They shared the same determination sparkle in their eyes as they hurried for help.

* * *

Sakura was at loss of words as Minato pulled her away.

"Kakashi,"

"Yes, sensei,"

Sakura eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She felt Kakashi strong arms hold her by the waist.

"NO!" She yelled as Minato walked forward to the top of the toad's head, "NO! MINATO-SENSEI!" Sakura struggled to break free from Kakashi's hold.

"Sakura," Kakashi could feel his throat die on him as he increased his grip on the pink-haired girl. He somehow felt like he was betraying her. Somehow, he felt like he was betraying himself.

"No… No!" Sakura moved all of her body. She swung her legs back and forward as Kakashi dragged her away. Letting out a loud cry, she dug her fingernails on his hands.

Kakashi winced but did not let go.

Minato stopped at the top of the toad's head and turned around to look at Kakashi and Sakura.

The Hokage serious face dissolved and a bright wide smile illuminated his previous grave features. He extended his arm and gave Sakura the thumbs up.

"Don't worry, Sakura," the soft breeze caressed Minato's blond hair, "I don't have any intentions to die,"

Sakura stopped moving at once. She felt as if she was twelve-years old again. It was as if she was staring at Naruto when he was about to leave to retrieve Sasuke.

The vivid-images seemed to be imprinted behind her eyelids, showing her a long distant memory.

"_I… p-please… just please! Bring Sasuke back!" _

_Naruto remained in silence for a moment. He stood there, staring back at her with a look of compassion for her. _

"_Sakura," Naruto finally spoke. His voice was serious, something that she had never heard before._

"_Huh…?" She raised her head to meet up with him, her eyes drenched with tears._

_Naruto greeted her with thumbs-up, grinning widely. His deep blue eyes sparkled with determination._

"_You don't have to worry! ...I'll definitely bring Sasuke back!" He said to her without a hint of doubt. "It's the promise of a lifetime!"_

Sakura throat was raw as she vented her pain.

"Sakura," Kakashi whispered into her ear. Worse than the unvoiced cries aching in the back of his throat… worse than the tears burning behind his eyelids, it was to see the one he loved break down that way, "Sakura… I…"

"Kakashi…" Sakura whispered back, too tired to do anything as he dragged her away, "Promise me…"

Kakashi waited for the pink-haired girl to carry on. When she did not say anything else, he asked, "Promise you what?"

Sakura watched in horror as Minato and Jiraiya jumped to the enormous toad sage tongue. The toad sage unrolled his tongue forward, high enough not to touch the tall flames. Both Minato and Jiraiya jumped to the ground.

"Are you guys staying there forever?" the toad asked them in deep and brusque tone.

Kakashi and Sakura ignored the toad as they stared intently to the field.

Minato eyed the lying Uchiha and felt a small relief wash over him as he noticed that the boy was still breathing.

The Uchiha boy had a special connection with his apprentice, Sakura. More importantly, the Uchiha was his son best friend. Minato realized how weird it felt thinking that way. It felt weirder believing that those two were from the future and met his unborn son.

The tall man that stood next to Sasuke's body was looking back at him with a mischievous expression. This Madara Uchiha seemed highly entertained. Minato felt relaxed, but still just to think that that man seemed to be enjoying himself by destroying his village, killing his citizens made him angry.

And Minato absolutely hated to be angry.

Minato stopped at a considerate distance.

"The mighty Hokage! Yellow-flash! That is what they call you is it?" asked Madara with an air of superiority.

Jiraiya only scoffed chuckling a bit before stretching out his arms. Madara crimson eyes darted away from Minato and stopped on the white-haired man.

"Well gentleman," Madara started, "I have far better things to do than stay and chat,"

"I don't think so,"

Madara's eyes widened at the deep, threatening voice behind him. In front of him was only the white-haired man. The Hokage was nowhere to be seen. Then, something unexpectedly happened.

The Uchiha felt something hard hit his back ribs.

There was something new inside Madara. It was something that he had not felt for a long time.

Pain.

Quickly, Madara recovered from the initial pain and skimmed his legs to the sides. He could feel his blood run down his back. His eyes flashed dangerously as he moved his upper body to side, his hands held Minato's wrist.

Madara inspected the unique kunai craved in his back. A few more inches and it would have reached his heart.

Minato smiled and Madara eyebrows arched in suspicious. He knew then, that he shouldn't have taken the blonde-haired man so lightly.

"You are incredibly fast," Madara said, ignoring the pain of his wound.

"Thank you," Minato replied, the smile still on his face.

Only then, Madara noticed the Hokage's free hand. A deep frown took over his features as he stared in absolute astonishment at the huge blue ball of chakra in the Hokage's right hand. With his sharingan, Madara could see the flow of Minato's chakra spinning at an incredible speed.

Madara quickly let go of Minato's wrist. However, Minato pushed the kunai deeper making Madara freeze in his place.

Suddenly another loud roar filled the air.

"MINATO WATCH OUT!" Jiraiya called out as one of the Kyuubi's tails was coming straight at Minato's direction.

"I guess we die together," Minato muttered as his right hand moved towards the Uchiha.

"No no, I rather not die today," Madara replied peacefully. His voice had a scary serious tone. His red eyes were alive, fixed on the Hokage with a meaning unreadable.

Minato blue ball of chakra hit his target at the very same time the Kyuubi's tail hit its own.

An incredible mass of dust rose to the sky. The dark flames were quickly extinguished. Everyone struggled to see what was beyond the mass of dust but could not see anything.

Jiraiya raised his arms to protect his eyes from the dust. His throat became immediately dry as a coughing attack took over him.

Minutes went by and everyone became like statues, waiting.

No one expected the sudden massive explosion of red chakra.

"COVER YOURSELVES!" someone screamed as the red chakra flew into the air at an impressive speed.

Sakura emerald eyes stared in horror as the dust started to dissipate away.

They were gone.

Minato-sensei, Madara and the Kyuubi… gone.

Kakashi could feel his heart drop as he stared at the now empty space. Not his sensei… not the only man close to him like a father!

"Sakura!"

All of her senses seemed disconnected with the world. She didn't know what emotion was running through her at that very moment. She felt numb.

Kakashi remained in his place staring at empty field, his mismatched eyes were wide with sheer disbelief. His heart was refusing to accept that Minato was gone.

A strong hand slapped Sakura across the face.

"Sakura," a stern voice brought the pink-haired girl back to her senses.

Sakura shook her head as she adjusted her sight on the blonde-haired woman. Tsunade wore a shocked and stern look on her tired features. Sakura noticed that Tsunade's summon had multiplied into smaller slugs and were now healing the wounded.

"Their gone," Sakura whispered softly.

"Sakura, listen to me-" but she wasn't listening. Tsunade mouth was open and moving but she could not hear a word.

They were gone.

Would everyone in her life disappear? Would she stay all by herself? All alone?

Her worried and distressed eyes ignored Tsunade's presence as she spotted Jiraiya. He was carrying Sasuke in his arms.

"He's a-aa-lright," Jiraiya spoke softly; his dark eyes shared the same emptiness, the same sheer disbelief, the same refusal to accept that Minato was gone.

There were no words to describe how he was feeling. Nor a coherent thought formed in his mind to conjure a plausible explanation to what had just happened.

Sakura was not listening anymore.

Kakashi could see she was not registering anything it was being said to her. By Kami. The guilt was tearing her apart, eating her alive. He needed to do something, to say something. But what? What could possible he do to ease her pain?

He felt useless. Kakashi felt numb as he watched the scenes unfold in front of him.

Minato-sensei was gone.

Sakura and her teammate could not save their future teammate's father.

* * *

"Hurry up!" Kenji complained as he turned left listening to his brother heavy breathing.

Kenjiro gritted his teeth as he focused on going further. His deep brown eyes watched his twin brother turn left and he mentally cursed his lack of speed. He wished he had taken Jiraiya-sama and the academy sensei advices as a sharp pain got his left side.

Kenji half-turned around frowning in concern. Kenjiro was bending forward with his hands on his knees. His mouth was wide open as he sucked in a large quantity of air.

"I…" Kenjiro started feeling incredibly useless as his brother waited for him to catch up, "Y-You g-go with… without m-me,"

Kenji narrowed his eyes; "I'm not leaving you,"

Kenjiro opened his mouth to counter-argue but the look on his twin brother eyes left no room for arguments. Then, nodding to himself, Kenjiro conjured up his last strengths and launched himself forwards.

His mind was set on saving Kushina-san's baby no matter what.

He wanted to see and get to know _the_ Naruto that Sakura-chan spoke about so often.

For a while, they ran without changing any words. They avoided looking at the detritus. The broken houses, the crushed trees, the countless lifeless bodies on the floor made their stomach twist. Kenji felt sickened to the point that he had to stop to throw up a couple of times.

The twins finally came to a stop as they arrived. They watched in absolute awe at the many shinobi that were still standing. Their petit eyes darted from man to man; searching for the person, they needed the most.

Finally spotting her, Kenji elbowed Kenjiro's hurting side. The twin bit out a curse word and glared at his brother.

"She's back,"

Kenjiro eyes widened at his brother's words. Slowly, he turned his head and followed Kenji's gaze.

Not too far away, he could see her unique pink-hair.

Sakura was kneeling next to someone's body. Kakashi was standing behind her, looking completely dazzled. Tsunade and Jiraiya were standing side by side looking at the strange trio.

The lying unconscious boy, the pink-haired girl and the masked nin.

"S-S-SA-SAKURA!"

Kenji ran forward avoiding colliding with a tall dark-haired man whose crimson eyes were fixed on the small group. The young boy gasped as he tripped on a dead body, falling flat on his face.

Her hair had fallen around her face; her eyes were swollen and red. Slowly, she raised her head and looked in the direction her name was called. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as she watched Kenjiro help his brother up to his feet.

"Sakura-chan!" Kenjiro called out as loud as he could, "Tsunade-sama! Kushina-san.... we... we have to hurry! Kushina-san... she's hurt!"


	26. Vinte e Seis Finale

"_Nothing splendid was ever created in cold blood. Heat is required to forge anything. Every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart." _

******************

**Flaming Heart**

**Finale **

The wind blew relentlessly taking several leaves and dragging them towards a handsome and enormous manor house that grew out in the darkness. Weak lights glinted in the egg-shaped downstairs windows. The main room was spacious, dimly lit and sumptuously decorated with several portraits. Two tall men stood in front of a comfortable sofa where a young boy was laying asleep.

The older man had his hands behind his back and wore a tired and sober expression on his wrinkled face. His eyes stared at the young man who was still suffering the sharingan effects.

"You better not be playing tricks on me, old man." The tall younger man repeated. His red eyes fastened upon the older man black ones with such intensity that the other two other men that were quietly standing on the door, looked away, apparently frightened that they would end up suffering with the police chief scorching gaze.

The old man smiled, not affected with the other man ferocity gaze, "My child, I give you my word. That boy… is your child,"

The tall man blinked at first. He heard it before but no matter how many times the old man told him, it was still very strange to him to accept the mere concept. He was a logical man, he believed only in what his eyes could see. To say… that a mere child was able to travel back in time it was blasphemy.

"Your unborn child," the soft voice seemed to hiss on filling the cold air of the room with an obscure tension. The two men that stood quietly at the room's door barely repressed a shudder, as the hissing seemed to grow louder.

"My child…" said the dark-haired man, his voice constricted with emotion, "Sasuke… my boy…" his red eyes stopped on Sasuke's pale dirty and wounded features. Sasuke looked exactly like he did many years ago. Turning to meet the old man dark eyes once more, "Tell me everything," Fugaku added, wincing slightly as though the words were sharp in his throat.

Sarutobi looked up at Konoha's chief police and felt a mixture of compassion and amusement. Finally, he nodded, "Very well," and he told the Uchiha everything there was to know. He explained how the pink-haired girl and his son driven by powerful bonds combined their strengths to save the village from Madara's plans. How their utter wish was to save their future teammate from loneliness, from ever having the Kyuubi sealed within him.

Fugaku listened to the long tale never once taking his eyes away from the young boy. He could not help the unfamiliar feelings to take over his spirit. He could feel his chest booming with a hot sensation of pride. He fought bravely against the urge to fall on his knees and embrace the boy in his arms.

The third Hokage raised his eyebrows as he watched the tiniest flicker of emotion cross the Uchiha's face. Both men stared at each other. Their eyes met and both knew they were pondering on the same matter. What was the future like for the Uchiha clan?

Behind the closed door, she struggled with the awful nauseous feeling in her stomach. She held her large belly in a protective manner. Her ears seemed to throb, bleeding internally refusing to believe in what she heard. It could not be. Her future child… it was ridiculous! What a nasty thing to say! Shaking her head to the side, she froze in her spot as she stared at the frightened child standing in front of her. Her chocolate eyes stared deeply into small red frightened orbs.

"I…Itachi?" she whispered, her hands felt like jelly. She was trembling so much that it felt as though someone buried and left her to rot in the coldest snow.

"M-m-m-mommy… it hurts," the frightened child took his petit hands and rubbed his eyes.

* * *

He could hear voices around him, yet his sharpened hearing captured the soft childish voice above all the others. Struggling to open his eyes, Sasuke could tell he was lying on his back on what felt like comfortable cushions. There was a burning sensation in his ribs and left arm. His head was throbbing.

"Sakura?" he whispered, weakly.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was lying on a sofa in an unknown, lamplight sitting room. His katana lay on the floor a short distance away, bloodied and muddy. Four men were watching Sasuke anxiously.

"Sakura's fine," said the third Hokage, "she's at the hospital helping with the wounded. How are you feeling?"

Sasuke sat up too quickly, feeling slightly sick and giddy. He blinked at first, and then he glanced around the room. He needed to see Sakura with his own eyes before he would believe that she was all right.

"Easy son," Sasuke watched impotently as a big strong hand paused on his shoulder, pushing him back against the cushions, "You are still very weak. The sharingan effect took a lot of you,"

That voice, a voice that Sasuke could never erase from his childhood memories. A cold, distant and strong voice. The young Uchiha felt like something inside him was falling, falling down to the pits of hell, leaving him, shattering his remaining piece of soul forever.

Slowly, he raised his dark eyes to meet his father red ones.

"He knows," the third voice reached Sasuke ears.

Sasuke clenched his jaw feeling his erratic heartbeat. From all the things that he wanted to avoid, was this. Was it wrong to feel this much alive? For so long, Sasuke wanted nothing more than to hear his name being called out by the ones he loved. He wanted to hear their voices to make sure that they were real.

There he was now staring straight at his father's eyes and listening to his voice.

"Fath-"

Sasuke did not finish it. He watched with wide eyes as a beautiful woman stood at the doorway struggling to walk past the two guards. Hesitantly, Sasuke gazed at the sniffing child in her arms, forgetting how to breathe as he stared at those innocent scarlet eyes.

"Lies! All Lies!"

The dark-haired woman glared around at them all; tear tracks clearly visible on her beautiful face. She silently dared any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was Itachi's soft sobs.

* * *

Her head was pounding, her limps aching. Around her, there was only silence.

Kushina quickly sat up, her eyes searching for a certain blond-haired man but he was not there. She realized that she was in what looked like to be the hospital. She noticed the many old torches hanging on the wall, the fire that provided the weak light was about to extinguish. The red-haired woman forced her eyelids open and gazed at the broken window. The gentle breeze seemed to caress her skin in a comforting manner. The stars in the sky seemed to stare back at her.

Eyes widening, Kushina quickly placed her hand on her belly, somewhat relieved to see the bump in there. The pain was gone. Suddenly, she felt her bed budge slightly. Tilting her head to the side, Kushina stared at the mass of pink-hair. A soft saddened smile appeared on her tired features as she gently placed a few locks of pink-hair away from the beautiful kunoichi face.

Sakura was quietly and soundless sleeping on a wooden chair. Her torso was leaning towards the bed, her both arms serving as a pillow.

With a resigned sigh, Kushina leaned back on the bed and stared up to the ceiling. She wondered for how long she has been asleep. For a moment, she stayed down not daring to think. Her mind was full with questions, a particular one more painful than the rest.

Where was he?

"Minato…"

Closing her eyelids, she was surprised to see images of which she held no recollection. Was she half-conscious when she witnessed this?

She could see Tsunade kneel next to her with a worried expression. Behind the blonde Sannin was the pink-haired girl. She looked horrified as if she had seen death itself.

"She's going to be alright…" said Tsunade with a stern expression, "It's nothing to worry about. The baby moved back around. Two broken ribs and a small internal bleeding,"

"B-but all the blood," a strange unfamiliar voice spoke from next to her. She found herself staring into big lavender eyes.

"Tsunade-sama…" the pink-haired girl spoke quietly as she walked away from Kakashi's protective hold, "can I?"

Hesitantly, Tsunade moved to the side allowing the girl space enough to analyze her. Biting her lip, Sakura hands started to glow green. A frown immediately came to her face.

"Kami… we arrived just in time to stop it…"

"Sakura… I didn't want to worry you,"

Sakura nodded, "She is going to need constant vigilance. I will stay with her,"

Kushina eyes shot wide open. Her light green eyes spotted a dark shadow next to the window. The moonlight bathed his silver-hair giving his identity away. Kakashi was looking out of the window staring at the now unrecognizable village.

Her heart stopped. Her breath caught raggedly in her throat. Kakashi was always good when it came to conceal his own feelings. She remembered seeing him face Rin's funeral like he was heading to a war. His face was clear of any emotion. Only his dark eye could not completely hide his pain away from the world.

Now, there he was, standing in a half torn hospital room, staring at a completely destroyed village. Kushina wanted to ask him. She wanted to know every little detail. However, at the same time, her heart told her to stay quiet. She didn't want to hear the answer. A loud gasp escaped her fully dry lips. She lowered her head and stared in awe at her large stomach. Then, a tender smile etched on her pale features.

"He's not gone," Kushina added in a quiet and stubborn tone as her eyes met Kakashi ones, "so wipe that stupid sad look off your face,"

The silver-haired jounin stared back at Kushina with a mixture of astonishment, incredulity and relief on his face. At least, she was still the same positive woman he knew. Somehow, as Kushina words rang inside his head, he wanted to grab onto them and make them true. Yet, he could not delude himself. He saw it with his own eyes.

The Kyuubi, Madara and his sensei were gone.

Still he didn't say anything to her. He couldn't. He was too afraid that his voice would betray him.

"He's not gone," Kushina added in a stronger tone of voice. Her light green eyes glared at him, "He's not!" she repeated as she caressed her belly.

Slowly and not knowing what to do, Kakashi merely nodded his head.

Kushina noticed how hesitant he was. The life of his dark eye was no longer there. He was a mere shadow of that brat she once knew. Sighing, she placed herself in a comfortable sitting position.

"One day…" Kushina voice came out croaky. She coughed lightly as to clear her throat, "…many many years ago… humans had two heads instead of one and four arms and four legs instead of two," she closed her eyes and smiled, "the Gods were bored and decided to separate the human in half. The humans began to feel incomplete and miserable… for their other part was gone. They couldn't find their other half in order to be complete…" she opened her eyes and stared at the perplexed jounin, "I have found my other half, Kakashi,"

Kakashi eyes widened slightly.

"And that's why I am telling you…" her voice became louder and firmer, "He will come back. I just know it,"

* * *

All she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep for an eternity. She was so tired. She wondered if she ever felt this tired before. Not even years ago when the village suffered a fatal epidemic. She couldn't stand to stare at the burnt blood from their fiery wounds. Thank Kami for Katsuyu, her precious summon. While the thousands of slugs tended to the most several cases, Tsunade took care of the ones which did not include blood. However, this could not go on much longer. The slug's itselves were not enough.

After she was done, after everything was over... if some pitiful soul dared to interrupt her peaceful sleep, she would make sure that they suffered the consequences. Sighing at her own thoughts, Tsunade reached for another soldier pill. She was exhausted beyond limits. Swallowing the pill, she took a quick glance at her surroundings.

She wondered if she was going to become deaf as the painful screams around her seemed to harmonize with each others. Her honey eyes fell on the tall figure that walked towards her. Her eyes widened as she stared at the girl by his side.

"Tsunade-sama!" the dark-haired girl exclaimed in sheer bliss as Jiraiya let go of her hand, "Tsunade-sama!" she repeated as she ran through the wrecked road, avoiding the several wounded that lied in poorly improvised beds.

Tsunade blinked at first as the girl held to her too tightly, "Shizune…"

"You are going to need all the help you can get, right?" Jiraiya asked as he joined her side.

Tsunade ruffled Shizune's hair in a motherly manner and looked up at the white-haired man.

"Tchh… who ever said I need help," Tsunade added in a fake disdain tone.

Jiraiya merely smiled as he stared at the several tiny slugs that carried on healing the wounded. Somehow, he knew that everything was going to be alright. He watched as Shizune followed Tsunade around. She was only a mere child, no more than her fourteen years old and yet her features showed a scary adult expression. He guessed that having to deal with Tsunade all those years made her the grown up one.

He had a great feeling that Sakura would get quite well with Shizune. The three of them would form an amazing trio.

* * *

Her dark eyes met Sasuke dark ones. Her head was spinning, her soul was screaming in pure pain. She felt as if her heart was cruelly ripped off and thrown to the floor where everyone could step on it. The cruel sensation as she looked at his dark orbs could not go unnoticed. It was as if she was staring at her husband eyes instead. Cold, distant and sorrowful eyes.

Fugaku shifted uncomfortable as his wife stepped inside the room. His eyes fell on Itachi that was quietly trembling in her arms. At that very moment his world stopped for a second time that night.

"Mikoto," her husband started slowly as he stared at Itachi bloodied eyes. He wore a worried expression on his usual blank face. How could it be? How could Itachi achieve the sharingan at such an early age?

Completely ignoring her husband, Mikoto walked forward never taking her eyes from his dark ones. Her trek was slow and hesitant. Itachi trembled in her arms and he too stared at Sasuke as if he was able to read his thoughts.

All of Sasuke's strengths abandoned him as his mother and his brother slowly approached him. She was just like he remembered her. He could smell the wonderful scent of vanilla of her long dark-hair that perfectly down to her back, her dark eyes and her tiny nose. She was beautiful. He fought the need to meet her halfway and hug her. He wanted to bury his face on her shoulder and cry. He wanted to cry and feel like he was finally waking up from his long miserable nightmare.

Mikoto stopped right in front of Sasuke. Mere centimeters were all that separated them apart.

Leaning in his mother arms, Itachi stretched his petit arm and touched a lock of Sasuke's hair.

Feeling that he didn't quite belong to the scene, the third Hokage disappeared into a mass of clouds.

"Nii-sama!"

A loud sob broke out from Mikoto's lips as tears welled up in her eyes. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but couldn't say anything as his mother threw herself to his arms. Itachi struggled with his mother arm so he could participate in the hugging scene as well.

* * *

It seemed like ages before she finally came to. Sakura was awakened by the sound of peoples' voices murmuring together. Thought they felt like lead, she forced her eyes to open. Her vision was horribly blurry; she could hardly take in any of her surroundings. She moaned softly to herself, attempting to lift her head without success.

Kushina tilted her head to the side as she stared at the moaning pink-haired girl. Sakura was a big question mark to her. She heard Sakura's story through Minato and was more shocked to find out that this girl was her future son best-friend than believing that she was indeed from the future. Just that fact alone seemed so unimportant in comparison to her bonds with her still unborn child. She was curious, dying to know what her son was like. Yet, she would never ask. She was scared of the answer but more importantly, she wanted to have the pleasure to see it for herself.

Sakura took a deep breath as she attempted to lift her head again. She could feel every bone of her soar body crack. Biting her lip, she raised her head and her emerald eyes met another different shade of green orbs.

"Kushina-san!" exclaimed Sakura as she gathered all her strengths in her almost rotten body, "Are you alright?" she questioned as she pushed her chair behind and quickly stood up. Sakura leaned forward and stretched her hand towards Kushina's forehead.

The red-haired woman did not move a muscle as Sakura cold hand touched her skin. Sakura smiled softly in satisfaction as she retrieved her hand back, "No fever," she added in a tired tone.

Kakashi remained quietly by the window. His dark eye never left the pink-haired girl. His eye noticed every single detail of her face. He didn't miss every single line that formed on her large forehead as she wrinkled her face in worry. Nor the way her dry lips somehow seemed so damn appealing to him. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to kiss her, shove his tongue inside her mouth and drown their worries away just for a brief moment. He needed her. It was as simple as that. Now, he was completely on his own and Sakura was his sweet escape. He needed her more than ever. He realized now, that somehow he knew that he wouldn't be able to live his life if she had performed that seal. His heart was suddenly filled with a mixture of guilt and relief.

Sighing, Sakura sat back on the chair. She ran a trembling hand through her long and messy pink hair. Maybe letting it grow back was a mistake. It was troublesome to have to take care of it and by Kami she did need a long relaxing bath. However, the truth is that her long precious bath was still far from happening. Sakura green orbs fell on the red-haired woman that was looking back at her with a curious expression. The medic-nin had the tiniest sensation that the older woman wanted to ask her something. She waited but Kushina never asked her anything.

"Kakashi," said Kushina in a quiet tone as if it was wrong or forbidden to speak any louder, "Will you please get us something to eat?"  
Eyes widening, Sakura jerked her head towards the broken window. She stared at his tall figure and took in a deep breath. How could she have forgotten about him? She was so worried about Kushina-san and the baby to even think about… wait…

"Sasuke! Oh no!" she exclaimed out of a sudden. She blinked softly as she stared at the empty spot, "Kak-"

"Are you coming or not?"

Sakura turned around and stared at the open door where Kakashi stood waiting for her. He stretched his hand forward and stared at her. He raised his dark eyebrow, nudging her to hold his hand. Sakura fingertips touched his cold firm skin. She watched his dark blue move as he smiled at her. She furrowed her eyebrows in displeasure. She hated that damned mask. Biting her lip, she stretched her free hand towards his face and snatched it away from his face without any ceremony, "Now… much better," she whispered as she stared at his perfect smile.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kakashi whispered back with a glint of mischief sparkling in his eye.

"Why is that?"

"Because now every girl will practically swoon over me," added Kakashi as he winked at the open-mouthed pink-haired girl.

Kushina shook her head and rolled her eyes at the loving scene unfolding in front of her.

Sakura blinked softly before she snorted, "As if," she said as she walked past the door, dragging Kakashi with her, "besides haven't you heard?" She asked as she looked at him from behind her shoulder.

"What?"

"There is a new handsome boy in the block,"

Kakashi snorted and rolled his eyes. There was no way that the Uchiha boy was more handsome than him. Right?

Sakura watched as Kakashi frowned for brief seconds and laughed. Kakashi stopped making Sakura stop as well. She laughed. His beautiful pink-haired girl angel laughed. Smiling, he pulled her towards him catching her off guard.

"Everything is going to be different now," he told her in a quiet serious tone.

Sakura smiled as she met his dark eye. Slowly, she pushed his headband up.

"Yeah..."

"Are you afraid?" Kakashi asked as he took in her dead serious expression. Her green eyes seemed to burn with invisible flames. No she wasn't afraid.

"Not anymore," she answered softly.

And she wasn't.

There was nothing to fear for now. Just, what the different and unknown future reserved for them. Besides, she was not to be intimidated. Not now or never. Not when Kakashi was standing by her side.

* * *

The trees stood like statues as the small flocks of snow carried on falling from the skies. The few animals recoiled into their shelters alert to the odd strange noises from the outside. The intense color of blue contrasted with the murdering color of his bloodied Sharingan. Both men seemed to be slightly dizzy as they stared at each other. No one spoke and no one moved. It was as if time itself had stopped to punish them. The cold seemed to penetrate into their skin like a cruel disease eating their flesh. Minato didn't want to believe in his eyes. He wasn't fast enough. Madara was faster. Minato had never witnessed someone as fast as Madara in his entire life. Somehow, the Uchiha managed to complete the seal. Minato could only recall the exact time when his rasengan was supressed by the Kyuubi explosion. The last thing he saw was the thick red chakra contaminate the air.

Minato finally opened his mouth but it was Madara's voice that echoed first.

"I finally did it," Madara spoke in a loud voice as if he wanted the whole world to hear him, "I finally did it!" he repeated more enthusiastically. It seemed like he completely forgot who was standing in front of him.

Minato swallowed dry. His remaining strengths threatened to abandon him to his own luck. He watched the dark-haired man open his arms towards the sky. Madara laugh was filled with madness.

Narrowing his eyes, Minato held onto his kunai and launched himself towards the madman. He would end his madness and then he would have to find a way to get home. But how? How could he do so if the man he was going to kill possessed the means to return him back?

* * *

**Six Years Later**

"Ready?"

"Ready,"

"Hn,"

Three silhouettes quickly ran across the dark field towards the small cottage. The tallest of them, a dark-haired man whose crimson eyes contrasted with the dark night leaned his back against the wall and with his fingers gave the others a small signal.

The pink-haired woman nodded while she ran past him towards the left side of the cottage searching for any other possible exit. Spotting none, she looked upwards to the cottage's roof where a silver-haired man looked straight at her. Nodding at him she kneeled on the floor and performed a single seal. She watched in satisfaction as the invisible wall surrounded the area. No one was escaping them.

The silver-haired jounin nodded back at her before he turned his back at her.

Quickly, he found a weak spot on the roof. Pressing his palm on the roof, and with his other hand performing a simple seal he made the roof crack easily.

"What the hell?" a loud voice exclaimed from the inside the house.

"Fuck, we have been discovered,"

"The money, gimme the money!"

Suddenly, the cottage's door was blown away. The three men stopped in their track as they stared at the dark-haired man. Their eyes widened in panic as they stared at Sasuke's sharingan. They widened further as they spotted a smiling pink-haired girl behind the Uchiha.

Kakashi jumped down and stared at his surroundings. He quickly discovered what they had come for. His expressionless face stared at the dead body on the table. His eyes stopped on the leaf headband.

"You guys have been naughty," Sakura exclaimed as she placed herself next to Sasuke.

Sasuke red eyes stared at the three men who coiled at the fierce look.

"They are simply mercenaries," Sasuke said in annoyance. He was hoping for a good fight.

Sakura placed a hand on Sasuke shoulder, "Thank Kami," she said with a smile, "this way we get to go back in time,"

Sasuke nodded quietly and looked towards Kakashi that quickly placed the dead nin over his shoulder.  
"Yosh, good to go,"

The three mercenaries simply blinked as the three ninja walked towards the exit. Sakura stopped at door and flashed them a smile, "Now now," her right hand played with an explosive kunai, "you better behave yourselves or next time we won't be this understanding,"  
The three men quickly nodded their heads as the three ninjas disappeared from sight.

It was funny, Sakura concluded as she walked between the two men with a wide smile plastered in her face. Who would have thought that she could be this happy? Stealing a quick glance at the white-haired man, she found her heart still beating as fast as it always did as their eyes met. She had found a safe place and for years, she hadn't shed a single tear. She was finally complete.

Sasuke had his own happiness. He had his family back and he was making sure that his clan would never follow a destructive path. Not that it could happen anyway. The Uchiha clan became closer to the village after the Kyuubi attack. They had lent their full support to the third Hokage.

Kakashi stopped and carefully placed the ninja corpse on his other shoulder. Sasuke stopped too and raised an amused eyebrow, "Too heavy?"

"Nothing that I can't handle," Kakashi responded as he started to walk again.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked as he stared at Kakashi back. He enjoyed provoking the silver-haired nin.

Sakura turned around and glared at both men who were still behind, "come on guys!" she called out impatiently, "The village is right there!"

* * *

The water caressed her entire body. Sakura closed her eyes tightly and simply stood there as the hot water fell down like a cascade embracing her body. It was times like this when her thoughts roamed through her head without warning or permission. She often found herself wondering what could have been if things had been done in a complete different way.

Anyway, she was happy now and that was all that mattered. She often saw Tsunade between her long missions and even when the two of them spent long periods without seeing each other, they would always write. Tsunade and Jiraiya had left the village exactly one year after Naruto was born. They helped rebuilding the village, but mainly they had stayed for Kushina and Naruto.

Kenji and Kenjiro graduated the academy and were currently living by themselves. They had become excellent medic-nin under her tutorship. Every morning they always passed by Kakashi's house for breakfast. It was hard to get rid of the twins.

Sasuke had slowly adapted to his new life. At first it was hard for him but when his young sister was born in his place, things started to change for the better. The clan accepted him and believed their story. They were proclaimed as heroes. Sakura couldn't have been any prouder than she was when Sasuke refused the hero title and dedicated it to Minato-sensei.

Naruto was a normal young boy with a loving caring mother. A small smile played in her rosy lips as she wondered which one was the most hyper. He treated Sakura and Sasuke like brothers and she couldn't be any happier.

A loud knock on the bathroom door interrupted her sanctuary, "Yeah?" Sakura called out as she rubbed her eyes.

"Are you coming or not?"

Sakura turned her head and stared at an already full dressed Kakashi. Smiling, she turned the shower off. Kakashi eyes widened as Sakura stepped out of the bathtub letting out infinite droplets of water fall onto the floor.

Sakura turned her head and stared at an already full dressed Kakashi. Smiling, she turned the shower off. Kakashi eyes widened as she stepped out of the bathtub letting out infinite droplets of water fall to the floor. The pink-haired girl bit her lip in a seductive manner as she walked towards Kakashi, stopping just a few inches away from him.

"The towel," she whispered softly making the white-haired man blink.

"Huh," It took him a while to process what she had just said.

Giggling, Sakura leaned on him. She put her arms around his neck and pressed a light kiss on his lips. Slowly, she started to rub her body into his.

"Guess I don't need that towel that much,"

Kakashi felt Sakura shudder under his touch. Her breath caught on a gasp as his gaze suddenly focused with clarity on her. Her skin was so warm against his. Slowly, he pulled her forward until she was forced to place her hand on his chest. He took in a deep breath, taking her scent. She was intoxicating.

Sakura closed her eyes as their lips touched. She kissed him gently, tasting strawberries and a heat that was all his. His hand on her neck and waist held her in place, yet she did not resent the control. She moaned softly as Kakashi turned her head so their mouths could widen and mate. Without any hesitation, she met his tongue with her own, and a battle of supremacy began. He groaned into her mouth, pulling her closer. Her hand on his body gave way, and her naked chest fell against his. It was a pleasure-pain that made her breasts ache. Somewhere inside she thought only he could give her what she needed.

* * *

Sakura green eyes focused on the little crowd searching for a certain petit blond boy. Kakashi stood by her side and easily spotted the young boy. He nudged her and pointed at the laughing little child. Sakura turned her head and froze in her spot as she stared at the little girl Naruto was speaking with. Swallowing dry, she recognized the girl easily.

Kakashi tightened his fingers around Sakura's hand. He stared at the young girl with curiosity. Even though, they were not the same person, they still looked very alike. They possessed the same ridiculous pink-hair. The main difference lied on their eyes and slightly on their noses. The young girl did not possess the same green beautiful eyes as Sakura did. Instead, she had her father eyes, deep dark eyes.

They watched as Naruto bid the girl good-bye and turned around slightly confused.

"Over here!" Sakura called out while waving her free hand.

Naruto blue eyes sparkled as they landed on Sakura and Kakashi. The young boy smiled showing off his petit white teeth. Sakura found herself smiling back.

Now that the whiskers were gone... the one thing that Sakura loved the most was to see Naruto smile.

His smile was the prettiest smile, Sakura concluded as the blond haired boy jumped towards her for a hug.

"Nee-san!"

Her heart started to race as she held the tiny child in her arms. Her eyes met his spakling blue ones and she felt like twelve years all over again staring at her old Naruto. Her whole skin was on fire. Her heart beated so strongly against her chest, reminding her that she was alive.

It was as if her heart was erupting in flames. She finally found her true self, her true strenghts, her true happiness... her true heart.

**Hers was a flaming heart.**

* * *

Author Note:

**Oh my GOD!**

_Yes this is the end. I finally wrote a whole story. My very first story! My baby project is now complete. Or is it? Muahahaha. Yep, I deliberately left some openings because... who knows... I might want to explore them later on. _

_Firstly, I want to thank all of you who sticked around and always reviewed! It was because of so many reviews and reviewers (winks winks) that I got encouraged to write more and more. It as a gratifying experience for a first story and there were times that I just wanted to quit due to painful writing blocks... but hey... I did it. _

_This last chapter. It probably isn't one of the best and probably the whole story will go under a slow painful revision. Because I love it so much and want to make it better LOL. _

_Anyway, once again a big thank you for your support._

_With lots of love,_

_Creidhe. _

* * *


	27. Author Note!

**The sequel is now up.**

**It is called Shadows of the past.**

**Here's the summary.**

As the midnight sky begins to darken the shadows of the past begins to emerge. Sakura's world is turned upside down when two worlds begin to collide changing the course of history. This time she has to fight by herself… perhaps even against those she loves the most.

----

It's rated **M **


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